# Incident 20240307006289I: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429, Prarie, ID, March 7, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 7, 2024, 21:10 local time
- Place: Prarie, ID
- Airport: Smith Prairie
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.4984° N, 115.5470° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SMITH PRAIRIE (2U0), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.4984&lon=-115.5470&mi=10
- Aircraft: N429SL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N429SL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 (registry code 1182158, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-canada-429) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D (registry code 52156, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw207d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 429
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PW207D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 4,083 total, 1,743 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240307006289I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT REPORTED WHILE TRANSITIONING FROM APPROACH TO A HOVER, HE ENCOUNTERED A FULL WHITEOUT UNIFORM GLOW DUE TO SNOW, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT, MAKING MAIN ROTOR CONTACT WITH THE AIRPORT WINDSOCK POLE.

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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