# Incident 20200819013699I: Agusta Spa A109E, Wauseon, OH, August 19, 2020

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 19, 2020, 19:30 local time
- Place: Wauseon, OH
- Airport: Fulton County Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: 6MFA
- Location: 41.6098° N, 84.1272° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FULTON COUNTY (USE), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6098&lon=-84.1272&mi=10
- Aircraft: N95RZ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N95RZ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Agusta A109E (registry code 0260101, https://openairdocs.org/model/agusta-a109e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206C (registry code 52160, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw206c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AGUSTA SPA A109E
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PW206C
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,500 total, 90 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200819013699I

## Narrative

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

ON 08/19/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1945 EST, THE HELICOPTER WAS RETURNING TO BASE, AFTER A ROUTINE LEG. THEY PERFORMED A NORMAL STABILIZED APPROACH TO THE HELIPAD AT KUSE. WHEN THE HELICOPTER STARTED ITS DECENT, FROM A 10 TO 15 FOOT HOVER, A SUDDEN VIBRATION WAS FELT. THE PILOT WAS UNSURE IF THE HELICOPTER WAS ON THE GROUND WHEN THE VIBRATION WAS FELT. THE COLLECTIVE WAS LOWERED COMPLETELY AND THE VIBRATION SEEMED TO SUBSIDE. HOWEVER, ONCE THE PEDALS WERE MOVED THE VIBRATION CAME BACK STRONGER, SO THE HELICOPTER WAS SHUT DOWN. ONCE EVERYTHING STOPPED TURNING THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND DISCOVERED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE TIPS WERE SHREDDED. WHEN THE PILOT LOOKED TO SEE WHAT WAS HIT HE NOTICED THAT HE HAD STRUCK A FLOOD LIGHT THAT WAS ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF THE HELIPAD. THE FLOOD LIGHT WAS KNOCKED OFF ITS POST, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET HIGH.

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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