What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Helicopter struck a large bird which came through the wind screen striking occupants. Helicopter landed on a dirt strip, pearce ferry airstrip (L25) Meadview AZ. Pilot's statement: on September 27, 2007, at about three pm pacific daylight time, I, the pilot, privacy data omitted was piloting a maverick helicopters Eurocopter ec 130 B4, N818MH, on a flightseeing tour from las vegas to the grand canyon, with seven passengers on board. Approaching the western edge of grapevine mesa in level cruise flight, I noticed a large bird about to pass within fifty yards slightly below and to the left side of the aircraft. Suddenly, another bird appeared almost directly ahead. This second bird struck the windscreen section ahead of my seat position, shattering most of the left transparency, and a portion of the center transparency. At the moment of impact I was struck in the face, neck, and arm by debris and/or parts of the bird (a portion of which was later found in the rear of the cabin). At the moment of impact we were approximately two miles south-southeast of pearce ferry airport (L25). I immediately began a descending, decelerating, left-hand turn towards the north-south runway. During the approach I was able to make radio contact with other pilots in my flight to advise them of my situation and intentions. I terminated the approach about midfield, brought the helicopter to a hover, and landed the aircraft on the east side of the runway, pointing to the north. I advised the passengers that upon shutdown and topping of the rotor blades, we would evacuate the aircraft. I performed a normal shutdown procedure, stopped the rotor blades, and attempted to open my door. Finding it jammed shut, I instructed the passengers on the right side of the cabin to open the right-hand door. The three front passengers and I exited the helicopter through the right side. Upon evacuating all seven passengers, I retrieved the aircraft's first-aid kit and began superficial treatment of cuts and scrapes, aided by another maverick pilot, who landed with me. We immediately contacted our company's base at mccarran international airport by cellular phone to advise them of the situation. Within thirty minutes paramedics arrived, continuing treatment of injured passengers. Shortly thereafter two maverick helicopters arrived to transport my passengers from pearce ferry to our base in las vegas.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) HELICOPTER STRUCK A LARGE BIRD WHICH CAME THROUGH THE WIND SCREEN STRIKING OCCUPANTS. HELICOPTER LANDED ON A DIRT STRIP, PEARCE FERRY AIRSTRIP (L25) MEADVIEW AZ. PILOT'S STATEMENT: ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2007, AT ABOUT THREE PM PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, I, THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PILOTING A MAVERICK HELICOPTERS EUROCOPTER EC 130 B4, N818MH, ON A FLIGHTSEEING TOUR FROM LAS VEGAS TO THE GRAND CANYON, WITH SEVEN PASSENGERS ON BOARD. APPROACHING THE WESTERN EDGE OF GRAPEVINE MESA IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT, I NOTICED A LARGE BIRD ABOUT TO PASS WITHIN FIFTY YARDS SLIGHTLY BELOW AND TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. SUDDENLY, ANOTHER BIRD APPEARED ALMOST DIRECTLY AHEAD. THIS SECOND BIRD STRUCK THE WINDSCREEN SECTION AHEAD OF MY SEAT POSITION, SHATTERING MOST OF THE LEFT TRANSPARENCY, AND A PORTION OF THE CENTER TRANSPARENCY. AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT I WAS STRUCK IN THE FACE, NECK, AND ARM BY DEBRIS AND/OR PARTS OF THE BIRD (A PORTION OF WHICH WAS LATER FOUND IN THE REAR OF THE CABIN). AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT WE WERE APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PEARCE FERRY AIRPORT (L25). I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DESCENDING, DECELERATING, LEFT-HAND TURN TOWARDS THE NORTH-SOUTH RUNWAY. DURING THE APPROACH I WAS ABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH OTHER PILOTS IN MY FLIGHT TO ADVISE THEM OF MY SITUATION AND INTENTIONS. I TERMINATED THE APPROACH ABOUT MIDFIELD, BROUGHT THE HELICOPTER TO A HOVER, AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, POINTING TO THE NORTH. I ADVISED THE PASSENGERS THAT UPON SHUTDOWN AND TOPPING OF THE ROTOR BLADES, WE WOULD EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT. I PERFORMED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN PROCEDURE, STOPPED THE ROTOR BLADES, AND ATTEMPTED TO OPEN MY DOOR. FINDING IT JAMMED SHUT, I INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CABIN TO OPEN THE RIGHT-HAND DOOR. THE THREE FRONT PASSENGERS AND I EXITED THE HELICOPTER THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE. UPON EVACUATING ALL SEVEN PASSENGERS, I RETRIEVED THE AIRCRAFT'S FIRST-AID KIT AND BEGAN SUPERFICIAL TREATMENT OF CUTS AND SCRAPES, AIDED BY ANOTHER MAVERICK PILOT, WHO LANDED WITH ME. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED OUR COMPANY'S BASE AT MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BY CELLULAR PHONE TO ADVISE THEM OF THE SITUATION. WITHIN THIRTY MINUTES PARAMEDICS ARRIVED, CONTINUING TREATMENT OF INJURED PASSENGERS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER TWO MAVERICK HELICOPTERS ARRIVED TO TRANSPORT MY PASSENGERS FROM PEARCE FERRY TO OUR BASE IN LAS VEGAS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.