20250212001169I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Just HIGHLANDER · Alton Bay, NH · February 12, 2025

Date
February 12, 2025 · 09:15 local
Place
Alton Bay, NH
Airport
Alton Bay
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N926SM
Reported as
Just Highlander
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
11,000 total125 in this make and model

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.

At the time of the event winds were out the east northeast at 6 to 9 mph. An airplane was coming in to land on runway 01 at Alton Bay, airport (B18). Simultaneously, a helicopter was operating east of the runway, on the parallel taxiway, adjacent to the ariplane's touch down point. Witnesses stated that the helicopter was hovering in the air facing south over the taxiway parallel to the airplane's touchdown point. As the airplane was Just about to touch down the right wing lifted and caused the aircraft to veer left. The pilot of the airplane added full power attempting to go around but could not develop lift. The pilot cut the power to idle and the aircraft vacated the runway going through a snowbank. The landing gear, propeller, canopy and left-wing sustained damage. There were 2 people on board and neither were injured.

As the FAA filed it

AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT WINDS WERE OUT THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 6 TO 9 MPH. AN AIRPLANE WAS COMING IN TO LAND ON RUNWAY 01 AT ALTON BAY, AIRPORT (B18). SIMULTANEOUSLY, A HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING EAST OF THE RUNWAY, ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY, ADJACENT TO THE ARIPLANE'S TOUCH DOWN POINT. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING IN THE AIR FACING SOUTH OVER THE TAXIWAY PARALLEL TO THE AIRPLANE'S TOUCHDOWN POINT. AS THE AIRPLANE WAS JUST ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN THE RIGHT WING LIFTED AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER LEFT. THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE ADDED FULL POWER ATTEMPTING TO GO AROUND BUT COULD NOT DEVELOP LIFT. THE PILOT CUT THE POWER TO IDLE AND THE AIRCRAFT VACATED THE RUNWAY GOING THROUGH A SNOWBANK. THE LANDING GEAR, PROPELLER, CANOPY AND LEFT-WING SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THERE WERE 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD AND NEITHER WERE INJURED.