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20251213020569I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · American Eurocopter AS350B2 · British Columbi · December 13, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
December 13, 2025 · 12:45 local
Place
British Columbi
Airport
Langley Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
QMLA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N147LM
Reported as
American Eurocopter AS350B2
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
6,520 total
N147LMRegistration cancelled May 9, 2026 · American Eurocopter AS350B2S/N 4475 · Built 2008Airframe modelAmerican Eurocopter AS350B2Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1D1Turbo-shaft

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.

An privacy data omitted Airbus helicopters AS350-B2 helicopter, was conducting local maintenance test flights, under visual flight rules, from Langley Regional Airport (cynj), bc, with the pilot and 1 passenger on board. During an autorotation check, the pilot adjusted the fuel control lever and the engine (safran-turbomeca arriel 1D1) subsequently flamed out. The pilot continued the autorotation to the ground and the helicopter bounced and slid on runway 01 before coming to a stop on the runway. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated on landing and the pilot turned it off. The pilot restarted the engine, and hover taxied the helicopter back to the hangar.

Maintenance conducted a tail boom stinger deflection check with no faults found. The aircraft departed on another test flight for main rotor track and balance before being grounded for a hard landing inspection due to the ELT activation. During the inspection, maintenance found minor distortion in the fuselage center frames, rubbing on the aft firewall which was the result of tail rotor driveshaft contact, and cracks in the cabin sliding door supports. The scope for the aircraft repair and component overhaul is being evaluated.

As the FAA filed it

AN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AS350-B2 HELICOPTER, WAS CONDUCTING LOCAL MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHTS, UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, FROM LANGLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (CYNJ), BC, WITH THE PILOT AND 1 PASSENGER ON BOARD. DURING AN AUTOROTATION CHECK, THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE FUEL CONTROL LEVER AND THE ENGINE (SAFRAN-TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1D1) SUBSEQUENTLY FLAMED OUT. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE AUTOROTATION TO THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED AND SLID ON RUNWAY 01 BEFORE COMING TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) ACTIVATED ON LANDING AND THE PILOT TURNED IT OFF. THE PILOT RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND HOVER TAXIED THE HELICOPTER BACK TO THE HANGAR.

MAINTENANCE CONDUCTED A TAIL BOOM STINGER DEFLECTION CHECK WITH NO FAULTS FOUND. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON ANOTHER TEST FLIGHT FOR MAIN ROTOR TRACK AND BALANCE BEFORE BEING GROUNDED FOR A HARD LANDING INSPECTION DUE TO THE ELT ACTIVATION. DURING THE INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE FOUND MINOR DISTORTION IN THE FUSELAGE CENTER FRAMES, RUBBING ON THE AFT FIREWALL WHICH WAS THE RESULT OF TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT CONTACT, AND CRACKS IN THE CABIN SLIDING DOOR SUPPORTS. THE SCOPE FOR THE AIRCRAFT REPAIR AND COMPONENT OVERHAUL IS BEING EVALUATED.