In this study, nonlinear crash analyses have been conducted for the skid landing gear of a helicopter. The realistic landing gear model of the commercial helicopter (SB427) is considered. Three-dimensional dynamic finite element model with variable thickness and material plastic behavior is constructed and LS-DYNA(Ver.970) is used to conduct nonlinear transient crash analyses for different impact conditions. Characteristics of nonlinear transient responses due to the ground crash are investigated for typical structural design criteria of a skid landing gear system. In addition, comparison results for maximum crash deformations of the skid landing gear are presented and the important effect of ground friction for numerical accuracy is described.