# Incident 19990219012989I: Bell 407, February 19, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 19, 1999, 15:30 local time
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: N585MC (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 407
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990219012989I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(DEAN HENNIES) THIS IS THE LETTER YOU REQUESTED 2-23-99 IN REFERENCE A BIRD STRIKE OCCURRING ON 2-19-99 AROUND 1530 HOURS LOCAL TIME. ON THIS DATE/TI ME I WAS ACTING AS PIC OF N585MC A BELL 407 MODEL HELICOPTER, OPERATED UNDER PART 91 BY THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WHILE ENROUTE TO A CALL OF A WILD FIRE NEAR TORTILLA RANCH WE WERE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 115 KTS. ON A HEADING OF 100 DEGREES NEAR CANYON LAKE. OUR ABOVE GROUND ALTITUDE WAS 600-500 FEET AVER S.R. 88 NEAR THE TORTILLA FLATS RESTAURANT. THIS IS WHEN A SMALL BIRD STRUCK THE LOWER RIGHT PORTION OF THE LEFT WINDSCREEN. THE BIRD PENETRATED THE WINDSCREEN AND SOME SMALL PIECES STRUCK DEPUTY GALEN RIEFSCHNEIDER WHO WAS MY OBSERVER THAT DAY AND WAS RIDING IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT. A VERY MINUTE PARTICLE OF WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE PLEXIGLAS CAME UP INTO MY HELMET/FACESHIELD AND INTO MY LEFT EYE. NEITHER OF US SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES FROM THE STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE LANDING AREA AT LAKE SAGUARO AND OUR MAINTENANCE DEPT. WAS NOTIFIED ALONG WITH YOUR OFFICE. AFTER THE MECHANIC ARRIVED ON SCENE HE DEEMED THE HELICOPTER AIRWORTHY FOR A FLIGHT TO OUR BASE AT DEERVALLEY AIRPORT.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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