What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On a single cargo flight from phx to sow, during descent when at about 11,000 feet and 20 miles out of sow, a bird struck the upper center section of the pilot’s windshield, breaking a football size hole in the windshield and scattering a considerable amount of blood, tissue matter and windshield glass into the cockpit. From the pilots statement the following is known: much of the bird and its blood came nto the cockpit and the pilot suffered head and arm injuries, but did not pass out. The remaining portion of the windshield was cracked so the there was no visibility through it. The pilot first thought he had hit traffic and that all the blood in the cockpit was his. The pilot’s glasses and head set were knocked off and damaged. The pilot put on spare glasses and used the hand microphone to communicate to the Show Low CTAF UNICOM: “Show Low traffic, amflight 2850 making emergency landing runway 6, experienced a birdstrike through the windshield.” MEL 27-1 had been applied to the aircraft because the flap system was inoperative. Pilot navigated to sow using DME and NDB. Pilot landed safely, initially lining up looking through hole in windshield and landing looking out copilot’s window.
As the FAA filed it
ON A SINGLE CARGO FLIGHT FROM PHX TO SOW, DURING DESCENT WHEN AT ABOUT 11,000 FEET AND 20 MILES OUT OF SOW, A BIRD STRUCK THE UPPER CENTER SECTION OF THE PILOT’S WINDSHIELD, BREAKING A FOOTBALL SIZE HOLE IN THE WINDSHIELD AND SCATTERING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF BLOOD, TISSUE MATTER AND WINDSHIELD GLASS INTO THE COCKPIT. FROM THE PILOTS STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING IS KNOWN: MUCH OF THE BIRD AND ITS BLOOD CAME NTO THE COCKPIT AND THE PILOT SUFFERED HEAD AND ARM INJURIES, BUT DID NOT PASS OUT. THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED SO THE THERE WAS NO VISIBILITY THROUGH IT. THE PILOT FIRST THOUGHT HE HAD HIT TRAFFIC AND THAT ALL THE BLOOD IN THE COCKPIT WAS HIS. THE PILOT’S GLASSES AND HEAD SET WERE KNOCKED OFF AND DAMAGED. THE PILOT PUT ON SPARE GLASSES AND USED THE HAND MICROPHONE TO COMMUNICATE TO THE SHOW LOW CTAF UNICOM: “SHOW LOW TRAFFIC, AMFLIGHT 2850 MAKING EMERGENCY LANDING RUNWAY 6, EXPERIENCED A BIRDSTRIKE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD.” MEL 27-1 HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE THE FLAP SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. PILOT NAVIGATED TO SOW USING DME AND NDB. PILOT LANDED SAFELY, INITIALLY LINING UP LOOKING THROUGH HOLE IN WINDSHIELD AND LANDING LOOKING OUT COPILOT’S WINDOW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.