Narrative:

I departed from a private heliport in fl; to the south and climbed sbound. Once crossing over the intercostals; I turned wbound along what is referred to as the sound side (north side) of navarre beach. Shortly after leveling off; I heard a noise (or thump) as if something hit the aircraft. I immediately entered a descent to perform a precautionary landing to an unpopulated section of the beach. During the descent; I monitored all instruments; and found nothing to be abnormal; so I continued the approach and began to bring the helicopter to a hover at about 30 ft AGL and perform a normal landing. At this point everything appeared to function normally until the helicopter decelerated below a speed that the vertical stabilizer would have effect. At that time the helicopter began to yaw to the right; so I decided to roll the throttle to idle and perform a hovering autorotation to the landing site. After completing an aircraft shutdown; I exited the aircraft and began to investigate the problem. I noticed that the tail rotor gear box had been severed from the aircraft; and realized that the pelican birds that were in the vicinity of my flight path might have come in contact with the tail rotor; causing one tail rotor blade to depart from the tail rotor attaching point; and subsequently caused the remaining tail rotor blade to come in contact with the tail rotor guard. Once this happened; the tail rotor blade impacting the guard caused the gear box to sever from the tail. I think in this situation; extreme caution should be taken when flying in the vicinity of beaches. Birds have tendencies for some reason to dive on aircraft or collide with them. In my situation I was fortunate enough to set the helicopter down with minimal damage; and in an area where there were no persons on the beach.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAIRCHILD HILLER FH1100 PLT HAS A BIRD STRIKE AND MAKES A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FROM A PVT HELIPORT IN FL; TO THE S AND CLBED SBOUND. ONCE XING OVER THE INTERCOSTALS; I TURNED WBOUND ALONG WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE SOUND SIDE (N SIDE) OF NAVARRE BEACH. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF; I HEARD A NOISE (OR THUMP) AS IF SOMETHING HIT THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A DSCNT TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG TO AN UNPOPULATED SECTION OF THE BEACH. DURING THE DSCNT; I MONITORED ALL INSTS; AND FOUND NOTHING TO BE ABNORMAL; SO I CONTINUED THE APCH AND BEGAN TO BRING THE HELI TO A HOVER AT ABOUT 30 FT AGL AND PERFORM A NORMAL LNDG. AT THIS POINT EVERYTHING APPEARED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY UNTIL THE HELI DECELERATED BELOW A SPD THAT THE VERT STABILIZER WOULD HAVE EFFECT. AT THAT TIME THE HELI BEGAN TO YAW TO THE R; SO I DECIDED TO ROLL THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND PERFORM A HOVERING AUTOROTATION TO THE LNDG SITE. AFTER COMPLETING AN ACFT SHUTDOWN; I EXITED THE ACFT AND BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE THE PROB. I NOTICED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX HAD BEEN SEVERED FROM THE ACFT; AND REALIZED THAT THE PELICAN BIRDS THAT WERE IN THE VICINITY OF MY FLT PATH MIGHT HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH THE TAIL ROTOR; CAUSING ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE TO DEPART FROM THE TAIL ROTOR ATTACHING POINT; AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSED THE REMAINING TAIL ROTOR BLADE TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE TAIL ROTOR GUARD. ONCE THIS HAPPENED; THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE IMPACTING THE GUARD CAUSED THE GEAR BOX TO SEVER FROM THE TAIL. I THINK IN THIS SITUATION; EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN FLYING IN THE VICINITY OF BEACHES. BIRDS HAVE TENDENCIES FOR SOME REASON TO DIVE ON ACFT OR COLLIDE WITH THEM. IN MY SITUATION I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SET THE HELI DOWN WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE; AND IN AN AREA WHERE THERE WERE NO PERSONS ON THE BEACH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.