# Accident 20070927023409A: Urocop EC130B4, Meadview, AR, September 27, 2007

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 27, 2007, 15:42 local time
- Place: Meadview, AR
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: M7KA
- Location: 36.0875° N, 114.0806° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0875&lon=-114.0806&mi=10
- Aircraft: N808MH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N808MH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (registry code 8680989, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-ec-130-b4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1 (registry code 60056, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: UROCOP EC130B4
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,000 total, 2,155 in this make and model, 258 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX07LA281](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07LA281) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070927023409A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX07LA281](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07LA281), Sep 27, 2007: Eurocopter France EC 130 B4 (N808MH), Meadview, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: Collision with a bird during cruise flight.

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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