Narrative:

I observed intermittent lighting of my tail rotor chip detector light. At that time, I executed a precautionary landing of the aircraft (a hughes 269A, helicopter) to a tidal mudflat/beach area. This landing site is on a small point of land covered, or nearly covered, by water at high tide. The nearest structures are approximately 100-150 yards away. There were no people present at this time. Within a few mins an alleged neighbor/land owner woman arrived to frantically complain. I called the local police via 911 and reported the situation. There were no other people on the aircraft. Due to a concern for the rising sea level and determining the precautionary nature of the chip detector-tail rotor only, I felt it necessary, prudent, and safe to reposition the helicopter approximately 100-200 yards to private property. This was with the permission of the party residing at another property, not the frantic woman's alleged property. At no time were there any hazards to persons, property, or the airspace. Upon a repositioning landing at the private party's site on the ocean edge, the landing was performed without problems or issues. The auths, local and state police arrived, took statements and compiled reports. After a short period and examination, the aircraft was safely flown to ZZZ. Upon further examination, the tail stinger was shown to be loose or slightly cracked in the mounting fixture, possibly vibrating the tail rotor gear box sediment to cause a cautionary light activation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a mechanic confirmed that a crack in the tail rotor stinger caused a false chip detector warning. Reporter stated that the stinger is a small piece of curved tubing attached to the tail boom to protect the rotor from ground strike. Reporter advised that he did not closely inspect the stinger on preflight. Reporter stated he feels that the property owner nearest to the landing site and some of the local auths overreacted due to the post 9/11 security concerns.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: H269A PLT MAKES A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A BEACH APPROX 100 YARDS FROM PVT PROPERTY DUE TO INTERMITTENT TAIL ROTOR CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT.

Narrative: I OBSERVED INTERMITTENT LIGHTING OF MY TAIL ROTOR CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT. AT THAT TIME, I EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG OF THE ACFT (A HUGHES 269A, HELI) TO A TIDAL MUDFLAT/BEACH AREA. THIS LNDG SITE IS ON A SMALL POINT OF LAND COVERED, OR NEARLY COVERED, BY WATER AT HIGH TIDE. THE NEAREST STRUCTURES ARE APPROX 100-150 YARDS AWAY. THERE WERE NO PEOPLE PRESENT AT THIS TIME. WITHIN A FEW MINS AN ALLEGED NEIGHBOR/LAND OWNER WOMAN ARRIVED TO FRANTICALLY COMPLAIN. I CALLED THE LCL POLICE VIA 911 AND RPTED THE SIT. THERE WERE NO OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ACFT. DUE TO A CONCERN FOR THE RISING SEA LEVEL AND DETERMINING THE PRECAUTIONARY NATURE OF THE CHIP DETECTOR-TAIL ROTOR ONLY, I FELT IT NECESSARY, PRUDENT, AND SAFE TO REPOSITION THE HELI APPROX 100-200 YARDS TO PVT PROPERTY. THIS WAS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE PARTY RESIDING AT ANOTHER PROPERTY, NOT THE FRANTIC WOMAN'S ALLEGED PROPERTY. AT NO TIME WERE THERE ANY HAZARDS TO PERSONS, PROPERTY, OR THE AIRSPACE. UPON A REPOSITIONING LNDG AT THE PVT PARTY'S SITE ON THE OCEAN EDGE, THE LNDG WAS PERFORMED WITHOUT PROBS OR ISSUES. THE AUTHS, LCL AND STATE POLICE ARRIVED, TOOK STATEMENTS AND COMPILED RPTS. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD AND EXAMINATION, THE ACFT WAS SAFELY FLOWN TO ZZZ. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, THE TAIL STINGER WAS SHOWN TO BE LOOSE OR SLIGHTLY CRACKED IN THE MOUNTING FIXTURE, POSSIBLY VIBRATING THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SEDIMENT TO CAUSE A CAUTIONARY LIGHT ACTIVATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A MECH CONFIRMED THAT A CRACK IN THE TAIL ROTOR STINGER CAUSED A FALSE CHIP DETECTOR WARNING. RPTR STATED THAT THE STINGER IS A SMALL PIECE OF CURVED TUBING ATTACHED TO THE TAIL BOOM TO PROTECT THE ROTOR FROM GND STRIKE. RPTR ADVISED THAT HE DID NOT CLOSELY INSPECT THE STINGER ON PREFLT. RPTR STATED HE FEELS THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER NEAREST TO THE LNDG SITE AND SOME OF THE LCL AUTHS OVERREACTED DUE TO THE POST 9/11 SECURITY CONCERNS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.