What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft and crew were on a night training flight for the public use operator. The pilot started his decent from 4500 feet to 4000 feet for the GPS approach to hazen north dakota when at 4200 feet the aircraft sustained several bird strikes. The first bird struck the copilots side windshield approximately 3 inches above the nose, displacing 70% of the windsheild, the right half of the aircrafts glare shield, pieces of the windshield deflected into the observer pilot/flight instructors face causing lacerations and facial bruising. The hen mallard's remains then continued aft along the headliner and came to rest behind the aft divider next to the oxygen tank at the rear of the aircraft. The control cabels and system were not affected by the birds place of rest. The pilot stated that he composed himself and then turned to his observer pilot/flight instructor who was in need of medical attention. A joint decision was made to return to kbis for more advanced medical and crash fire assistance if needed. The pilot stated that in the midst of the incident, the instructor managed to select 7700 on the transponder. The pilot stated that he returned to kbis without further incident. The passenger/flight instructor was treated and released from a local kbis hospital. The pilot was not injured. Subsequent inspection of the aircraft revealed:bird number two struck the right, outboard 30" of the wing tip causing substancial damage to the wings leading edge, outboard of the landing light. Bird number three struck the raydome, left of Center which deflected the bird into the left prop and left wing root. No visible damage was noted to the left propeller or the left wing. The raydome sustained minor+ damage.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT AND CREW WERE ON A NIGHT TRAINING FLIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC USE OPERATOR. THE PILOT STARTED HIS DECENT FROM 4500 FEET TO 4000 FEET FOR THE GPS APPROACH TO HAZEN NORTH DAKOTA WHEN AT 4200 FEET THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SEVERAL BIRD STRIKES. THE FIRST BIRD STRUCK THE COPILOTS SIDE WINDSHIELD APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES ABOVE THE NOSE, DISPLACING 70% OF THE WINDSHEILD, THE RIGHT HALF OF THE AIRCRAFTS GLARE SHIELD, PIECES OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFLECTED INTO THE OBSERVER PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS FACE CAUSING LACERATIONS AND FACIAL BRUISING. THE HEN MALLARD'S REMAINS THEN CONTINUED AFT ALONG THE HEADLINER AND CAME TO REST BEHIND THE AFT DIVIDER NEXT TO THE OXYGEN TANK AT THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CONTROL CABELS AND SYSTEM WERE NOT AFFECTED BY THE BIRDS PLACE OF REST. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COMPOSED HIMSELF AND THEN TURNED TO HIS OBSERVER PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS IN NEED OF MEDICAL ATTENTION. A JOINT DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO KBIS FOR MORE ADVANCED MEDICAL AND CRASH FIRE ASSISTANCE IF NEEDED.THE PILOT STATED THAT IN THE MIDST OF THE INCIDENT, THE INSTRUCTOR MANAGED TO SELECT 7700 ON THE TRANSPONDER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE RETURNED TO KBIS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PASSENGER/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM A LOCAL KBIS HOSPITAL.THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED:BIRD NUMBER TWO STRUCK THE RIGHT, OUTBOARD 30" OF THE WING TIP CAUSING SUBSTANCIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS LEADING EDGE, OUTBOARD OF THE LANDING LIGHT. BIRD NUMBER THREE STRUCK THE RAYDOME, LEFT OF CENTER WHICH DEFLECTED THE BIRD INTO THE LEFT PROP AND LEFT WING ROOT. NO VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE LEFT PROPELLER OR THE LEFT WING. THE RAYDOME SUSTAINED MINOR+ DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.