Narrative:

I observed an automobile come in contact with the small aircraft, which I leased from company for giving rides at a local fair. The helicopter was empty, parked stationary within a roped off perimeter. I observed the automobile, driven by an elderly man, drive through the perimeter and come in contact with the bottom 2-3 inches of the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. I notified company of the 'incident' by telephone immediately after the occurrence. I then inspected the entire vertical stabilizer, the attachment points, the tail boom for any wrinkles, bends or tears, the attachment of the tail boom to the fuselage, the aft section of the fuselage for any wrinkles or stress marks, and the tail rotor drive shaft for any stress or chafing. I also inspected the short shaft. I found no binding wrinkles, bends or tears, no chafing after I rotated the tail rotor and listened for any unusual noise created by the turning of the tail rotor drive shaft. The only physical damage I observed was minimal and existed only on the bottom 2-3 inches of the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. The area was wrinkled but not to the point where it touched or interfered with the honeycomb. I referred to FARS (NTSB 830-830.2) to determine the status of this 'incident.' I determined it was unsubstantial damage and therefore found the aircraft airworthy for flight. I chose to fly the aircraft and found no abnormal response from all controls. I continued to give rides and returned the aircraft to company without experiencing any complications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARKED HELI HIT BY CAR.

Narrative: I OBSERVED AN AUTOMOBILE COME IN CONTACT WITH THE SMA, WHICH I LEASED FROM COMPANY FOR GIVING RIDES AT A LCL FAIR. THE HELI WAS EMPTY, PARKED STATIONARY WITHIN A ROPED OFF PERIMETER. I OBSERVED THE AUTOMOBILE, DRIVEN BY AN ELDERLY MAN, DRIVE THROUGH THE PERIMETER AND COME IN CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM 2-3 INCHES OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERT STABILIZER. I NOTIFIED COMPANY OF THE 'INCIDENT' BY TELEPHONE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. I THEN INSPECTED THE ENTIRE VERT STABILIZER, THE ATTACHMENT POINTS, THE TAIL BOOM FOR ANY WRINKLES, BENDS OR TEARS, THE ATTACHMENT OF THE TAIL BOOM TO THE FUSELAGE, THE AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE FOR ANY WRINKLES OR STRESS MARKS, AND THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FOR ANY STRESS OR CHAFING. I ALSO INSPECTED THE SHORT SHAFT. I FOUND NO BINDING WRINKLES, BENDS OR TEARS, NO CHAFING AFTER I ROTATED THE TAIL ROTOR AND LISTENED FOR ANY UNUSUAL NOISE CREATED BY THE TURNING OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE ONLY PHYSICAL DAMAGE I OBSERVED WAS MINIMAL AND EXISTED ONLY ON THE BOTTOM 2-3 INCHES OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERT STABILIZER. THE AREA WAS WRINKLED BUT NOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT TOUCHED OR INTERFERED WITH THE HONEYCOMB. I REFERRED TO FARS (NTSB 830-830.2) TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THIS 'INCIDENT.' I DETERMINED IT WAS UNSUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THEREFORE FOUND THE ACFT AIRWORTHY FOR FLT. I CHOSE TO FLY THE ACFT AND FOUND NO ABNORMAL RESPONSE FROM ALL CTLS. I CONTINUED TO GIVE RIDES AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO COMPANY WITHOUT EXPERIENCING ANY COMPLICATIONS.

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.