On approach to helipad, pilot encountered wind shear. Made hard landing. Aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	120868
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 81 flight time total : 6325 flight time type : 208
ASRS Report	120868
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On final approach to hospital, I experienced wind shear as I was about to land. Aircraft landed hard and its rear crosstube was bent. Behind is a sketch of my approach path. As I was about to clear the last tree on my approach, I experienced an increased rate of descent. I was committed to land for there was no fly away area available to me. If I had tried to make a running landing I would have run into the culvert that was ahead of us. I could not apply any more power as I knew from experience and my collective position that I was close to maximum torque. I then applied a little right pedal and set it down on the small concrete pad. We bounced once before settling. On exiting the aircraft I noticed that the rear crosstube was bent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON APCH TO HELIPAD, PLT ENCOUNTERED WIND SHEAR. MADE HARD LNDG. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH TO HOSPITAL, I EXPERIENCED WIND SHEAR AS I WAS ABOUT TO LAND. ACFT LANDED HARD AND ITS REAR CROSSTUBE WAS BENT. BEHIND IS A SKETCH OF MY APCH PATH. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CLEAR THE LAST TREE ON MY APCH, I EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED RATE OF DSCNT. I WAS COMMITTED TO LAND FOR THERE WAS NO FLY AWAY AREA AVAILABLE TO ME. IF I HAD TRIED TO MAKE A RUNNING LNDG I WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THE CULVERT THAT WAS AHEAD OF US. I COULD NOT APPLY ANY MORE POWER AS I KNEW FROM EXPERIENCE AND MY COLLECTIVE POSITION THAT I WAS CLOSE TO MAX TORQUE. I THEN APPLIED A LITTLE RIGHT PEDAL AND SET IT DOWN ON THE SMALL CONCRETE PAD. WE BOUNCED ONCE BEFORE SETTLING. ON EXITING THE ACFT I NOTICED THAT THE REAR CROSSTUBE WAS BENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.