20061214026329I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 369E · Fresno, CA · December 14, 2006

Date: December 14, 2006 · 16:02 local
Place: Fresno, CA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: F1OM
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N922SD
Reported as: Hughes 369E
Reported engine: Allison 250C20R
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,320 total1,850 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N922SDRegistered now · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369ES/N 0478E · Built 1991 Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) N922SD was conducting law enforcement operations as a public use aircraft at 500 feet AGL and 60 KIAS when a seagull shattered the upper right wind screen, striking the observer in the face. The pilot and observer were wearing flight helmets with the face shields down. The observer suffered minot injuries to his face, the pilot was uninjured. The aircraft was flown to university medical center and landed without incident. The observer was treated for his injuries and released. The aircraft was trailered to the sheriff's department hangar.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N922SD WAS CONDUCTING LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS AS A PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT AT 500 FEET AGL AND 60 KIAS WHEN A SEAGULL SHATTERED THE UPPER RIGHT WIND SCREEN, STRIKING THE OBSERVER IN THE FACE. THE PILOT AND OBSERVER WERE WEARING FLIGHT HELMETS WITH THE FACE SHIELDS DOWN. THE OBSERVER SUFFERED MINOT INJURIES TO HIS FACE, THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE OBSERVER WAS TREATED FOR HIS INJURIES AND RELEASED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAILERED TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HANGAR.