There’s no doubt about his skill. But rather it’s his judgement that’s in question as federal agents investigate why a pilot would land a 39-foot long helicopter on the southernmost tip of tiny Freeman Island.

According to witnesses, the Bell Jet Ranger hovered over the south end of the island for a short time and then touched down at about 7 p.m. on Aug. 3. It was back in the air about 30 minutes later and then disappeared.

David Lee of Newcastle had trouble believing his eyes. “They were hovering pretty low so at first we thought they might be responding to some sort of emergency, or may be having engine trouble,” Lee said. “I’ve seen a float plane or two come up to the island, but this was a first. I’ve never seen a helicopter land on it.”

Lee snapped photos from the shore while a fellow camper at Beach Haven Resort hopped in a boat and headed to the island to find out more. When asked about the landing, Lee said the pilot, according to the fellow camper, replied he and his passenger decided it would be a nice spot to drop down and have dinner.

The helicopter’s tail numbers were clearly visible on the photos. An Internet search by Lee revealed it belonged to a Renton-based helicopter company that offers chartered flights.

Based on tail numbers, Rick Dominy, general manager of WorldWind Helicopters, Inc., said the Ranger appears to be theirs. Its choppers are no stranger to the islands and, Dominy noted, the Bonneville Power Administration is a frequent client.

“We land up in the San Juans a lot,” Dominy said. “I’ll have to do some due diligence to see who was up there and what was going on.”

The touch down took Nick Teague of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) by surprise. Teague, who manages the agency’s San Juan properties, said in most cases a permit would be required before an aircraft landed on BLM land, and that he knows of no such request regarding Freeman Island. He said the bureau’s regional law enforcement officer, based in Wenatchee, has been supplied with photos and is investigating.

Teague said that Freeman, totaling an acre or two at best, is unique in its array of natural features and vulnerable because of its close proximity to shore. Any request to land a helicopter on it would trigger a “full-scale, internal agency review,” which, according to Teague, would be difficult to pass.

“It’s an amazing intact ecosystem,” he said. “It’s an absolute treasure as well as an area of critical environmental concern.”

Though in its infancy, Teague expects the investigation will likely result in educating the helicopter company about potential hazards to the island’s habitat, as well as protocols for landing on BLM property. It’s possible, he said, the pilot was unaware it’s off-limits without a permit and that pursuing a penalty in such cases can prove more trouble than its worth.

“I’m sure we’ll be sharing information about the sensitive nature of our outer islands and, depending on the investigation, we’ll go from there,” Teague said. “We always like to focus on the resource.”