Narrative:

I was aircraft 1 of 2 aircraft responding to a vehicle accident located on the interstate. The second aircraft was approximately 1/2 mi behind me. Approximately 4-5 mi from the accident scene; I established radio contact with the incident commander on scene. He described the landing area and relayed instructions. I orbited the area conducting my aerial reconnaissance of the area; briefed the medical crew; and established myself on final landing to the west. My landing area was on the highway between the ambulance; to the west; and a police squad car to the east. Over the landing area; approximately 10 ft AGL; I informed the medical crew that I was going to turn the aircraft 90 degrees to the right thereby being able to observe both lanes of traffic and observe the inbound second aircraft. Once I completed my turn; the medical crew member on the left side of the aircraft informed me I needed to slide further left as there was a snow marker; approximately 5 ft; close to the aircraft tail area. I slid another 2-3 ft to the left and began to land when I felt a momentary 'abrupt' vibration in the pedals. I landed the aircraft without further incident and shut the aircraft down normally. Postflt inspection revealed a bent tail rotor strike tab on one end of the tail rotor. The on-scene ground personnel noted that when I got close to the ground the snow marker began to wiggle and was pulled into the tail rotor. Another aircraft was called to transport the patient and the aircraft was not flown until the tail rotor gear box and tail rotor were replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS 350 PLT WAS MAKING A CONTROLLED; OFF-ARPT LNDG WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR PULLED AN OBJECT INTO THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY; CAUSING ROTOR DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS ACFT 1 OF 2 ACFT RESPONDING TO A VEHICLE ACCIDENT LOCATED ON THE INTERSTATE. THE SECOND ACFT WAS APPROX 1/2 MI BEHIND ME. APPROX 4-5 MI FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE; I ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH THE INCIDENT COMMANDER ON SCENE. HE DESCRIBED THE LNDG AREA AND RELAYED INSTRUCTIONS. I ORBITED THE AREA CONDUCTING MY AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AREA; BRIEFED THE MEDICAL CREW; AND ESTABLISHED MYSELF ON FINAL LNDG TO THE W. MY LNDG AREA WAS ON THE HWY BTWN THE AMBULANCE; TO THE W; AND A POLICE SQUAD CAR TO THE E. OVER THE LNDG AREA; APPROX 10 FT AGL; I INFORMED THE MEDICAL CREW THAT I WAS GOING TO TURN THE ACFT 90 DEGS TO THE R THEREBY BEING ABLE TO OBSERVE BOTH LANES OF TFC AND OBSERVE THE INBOUND SECOND ACFT. ONCE I COMPLETED MY TURN; THE MEDICAL CREW MEMBER ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT INFORMED ME I NEEDED TO SLIDE FURTHER L AS THERE WAS A SNOW MARKER; APPROX 5 FT; CLOSE TO THE ACFT TAIL AREA. I SLID ANOTHER 2-3 FT TO THE L AND BEGAN TO LAND WHEN I FELT A MOMENTARY 'ABRUPT' VIBRATION IN THE PEDALS. I LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND SHUT THE ACFT DOWN NORMALLY. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED A BENT TAIL ROTOR STRIKE TAB ON ONE END OF THE TAIL ROTOR. THE ON-SCENE GND PERSONNEL NOTED THAT WHEN I GOT CLOSE TO THE GND THE SNOW MARKER BEGAN TO WIGGLE AND WAS PULLED INTO THE TAIL ROTOR. ANOTHER ACFT WAS CALLED TO TRANSPORT THE PATIENT AND THE ACFT WAS NOT FLOWN UNTIL THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX AND TAIL ROTOR WERE REPLACED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.