# Incident 20190508004249I: Eurocopter AS 350 B2, Hilo, HI, May 8, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 8, 2019, 15:30 local time
- Place: Hilo, HI
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: XSFA
- Location: 19.7225° N, 155.0868° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Hilo, HI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=19.7225&lon=-155.0868&mi=10
- Aircraft: N964SA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N964SA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (registry code 8680950, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ASTAZOU series (registry code 60020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-astazou-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS 350 B2
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ASTAZOU SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 16,250 total, 13,400 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190508004249I

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 8, 2019, ABOUT 1530 HAWAII-ALEUTIAN TIME, AN AIRBUS HELICOPTER AS-350-B2, N964SA, OPERATED BY SAFARI AVIATION INC. (XSFA), STRUCK THE AIRPORT BARRIER PERIMETER FENCE WHILE LANDING AT THE HANGAR AREA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME.

THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN ON A MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN ROTOR SHAFT AND MAIN GEAR BOX CHIP LIGHT EVENT, AS THE PILOT APPROACHED THE LANDING AREA NEXT TO THE HANGAR, HE CROSSED THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE LOWER THAN NORMAL AND IMPACTED THE UPPER TOP STRAND OF THE BARBWIRE FENCE WITH THE TAIL STINGER AND TAIL ROTOR BLADE.

NO LOSS OF CONTROL WAS EXPERIENCED BUT THE LANDING WAS HARDER THAN NORMAL.

THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE STRIKE TABS.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.