20230801006589I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E · Paxson, AK · August 1, 2023

Date: August 1, 2023 · 09:30 local
Place: Paxson, AK
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N808BH
Reported as: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
Reported engine: Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,750 total2,000 in this make and model

N808BHRegistered now · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369ES/N 0317E · Built 1988 Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Pilot attempted sloped landing on downwind side of a ridge line at the top of a mountain slope with winds at 12-15 KTS gusting 23-25 KTS from wnw with 10 miles of visibility. There was also haze due to smoke from wild fires.

The tail rotor damage was idenfied during a post flight walkaround. One rotor blade had minor rock damage and the other one had rock damage with a small crack/tear at the tip. Maintenance was dispatched to the aircraft location with new new tail rotor assemply and a new tail rotor gear box. Both were replaced and aircraft was returned to service prior to the next flight.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT ATTEMPTED SLOPED LANDING ON DOWNWIND SIDE OF A RIDGE LINE AT THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN SLOPE WITH WINDS AT 12-15 KTS GUSTING 23-25 KTS FROM WNW WITH 10 MILES OF VISIBILITY. THERE WAS ALSO HAZE DUE TO SMOKE FROM WILD FIRES.

THE TAIL ROTOR DAMAGE WAS IDENFIED DURING A POST FLIGHT WALKAROUND. ONE ROTOR BLADE HAD MINOR ROCK DAMAGE AND THE OTHER ONE HAD ROCK DAMAGE WITH A SMALL CRACK/TEAR AT THE TIP. MAINTENANCE WAS DISPATCHED TO THE AIRCRAFT LOCATION WITH NEW NEW TAIL ROTOR ASSEMPLY AND A NEW TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. BOTH WERE REPLACED AND AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE PRIOR TO THE NEXT FLIGHT.