From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter conducted an aerial photo flight of another helicopter that was in flight. The pilot stated she had difficulty maintaining altitude and conducted a precautionary landing in a desert wash bed in mountainous terrain. Both blades of the tail rotor sustained tip damaged and the tail rotor guard separated from the aircraft. No other damage to the helicopter occurred. No injury was reported by either the pilot or photographer on board. No post crash fire was reported.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER CONDUCTED AN AERIAL PHOTO FLIGHT OF ANOTHER HELICOPTER THAT WAS IN FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED SHE HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALTITUDE AND CONDUCTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A DESERT WASH BED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. BOTH BLADES OF THE TAIL ROTOR SUSTAINED TIP DAMAGED AND THE TAIL ROTOR GUARD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER OCCURRED. NO INJURY WAS REPORTED BY EITHER THE PILOT OR PHOTOGRAPHER ON BOARD. NO POST CRASH FIRE WAS REPORTED.
Other reports on N557DC · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.