# Incident 20150630010299I: Eurocopter AS 350 B3, Littleton, CO, June 30, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 30, 2015, 13:45 local time
- Place: Littleton, CO
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 39.5904° N, 105.0201° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Littleton, CO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5904&lon=-105.0201&mi=10
- Aircraft: N391LG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N391LG) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (registry code 8680954, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1 (registry code 60056, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2B1
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,532 total, 1,182 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150630010299I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING POST FLIGHT INSPECTION PILOT NOTED THE STRIKE TABS (SMALL METAL TABS ON THE TIPS OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES) ON THE AIRCRAFT TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY WERE BENT OVER. PILOT BELIEVES HE CONTACTED VEGETATION WHILE PERFORMING A HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE PATIENT EXTRACTION IN AN UNIMPROVED AREA ON A PRIOR FLIGHT.

FAA INSPECTION OF THE BLADES ALSO NOTED EACH BLADE HAD A SMALL DENT, NICKS AND SCRATCHES. THE STRIKE TAB ON EACH BLADE TIP WAS BENT OVER. NO LEADING EDGE DAMAGE WAS NOTED. SMALL VEGETATION ?CLIPPINGS? WERE NOTED STUCK TO THE VERTICAL FIN ON THE TAIL ROTOR SIDE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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