N363AL

On July 20, 2012, a Bell 206L-3 (N363AL) was involved in an incident near Circle, AK. All 4 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing.

The pilot elected to land a high skid, turbine-powered helicopter in a burned-out wooded area as part of a vegetation reclamation survey. The area he selected contained several rain-soaked, burned and fallen birch trees, which required that he land perpendicular to and on the fallen trees with the helicopter's skids. The operator reported that after landing atop the uneven, fallen trees, the pilot retarded the engine throttle to flight idle to begin the mandatory 2 minute engine cool down procedure. The helicopter subsequently tipped backwards and slid to the left, with the tail rotor striking a log. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, tail rotor drive system, and tail rotor gearbox.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC12CA077. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N363AL.