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EMS helicopter departing accident scene has bird strike which breaks windshield. Precautionary landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 235728 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199303 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz tower : sna |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 235728 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other |
Narrative:
After departing scene of an automatic accident, no patient on board, and at approximately 1000 ft AGL, a large bird struck pilot's lower wind screen. Departure control and hospital dispatch center were notified of problem and precautionary landing was completed to a nearby fire station. Upon inspection of aircraft, found damage to be confined to fist-sized hole in the upper left corner of pilot's lower wind screen. Both interior and exterior of aircraft were covered with blood and small bird parts. Aircraft was cleaned and hole duct taped. Aircraft returned to base and mechanic notified. Wind screen was replaced the next day and aircraft returned to service. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states they had left scene after medical crew declared patient dead. This flock of birds were flying at night and estimated duck to be 3-4 pounds traveling at 30-40 KTS. Pilot had rotating search light on, looking for known wires above terrain at the time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EMS HELI DEPARTING ACCIDENT SCENE HAS BIRD STRIKE WHICH BREAKS WINDSHIELD. PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.
Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING SCENE OF AN AUTO ACCIDENT, NO PATIENT ON BOARD, AND AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL, A LARGE BIRD STRUCK PLT'S LOWER WIND SCREEN. DEP CTL AND HOSPITAL DISPATCH CTR WERE NOTIFIED OF PROB AND PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS COMPLETED TO A NEARBY FIRE STATION. UPON INSPECTION OF ACFT, FOUND DAMAGE TO BE CONFINED TO FIST-SIZED HOLE IN THE UPPER L CORNER OF PLT'S LOWER WIND SCREEN. BOTH INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF ACFT WERE COVERED WITH BLOOD AND SMALL BIRD PARTS. ACFT WAS CLEANED AND HOLE DUCT TAPED. ACFT RETURNED TO BASE AND MECH NOTIFIED. WIND SCREEN WAS REPLACED THE NEXT DAY AND ACFT RETURNED TO SVC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THEY HAD LEFT SCENE AFTER MEDICAL CREW DECLARED PATIENT DEAD. THIS FLOCK OF BIRDS WERE FLYING AT NIGHT AND ESTIMATED DUCK TO BE 3-4 LBS TRAVELING AT 30-40 KTS. PLT HAD ROTATING SEARCH LIGHT ON, LOOKING FOR KNOWN WIRES ABOVE TERRAIN AT THE TIME.
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.