What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During cruise/low approach to hospital helipad approximately 4 miles out the pilot windshield failed losing 90% of the window. Investigation by company personnel revealed a dent in the windshield metal trim just forward of the pilot door. The dent was about eye level and appeared to be pushed in hard enough that it applied pressure to the plexiglas and set up a stress point. It is suspected the dent was caused by contact with another a/c during hangar storage or due to being hit during other ground activities or maintenance actions sometime prior to this flight. The pilot did not notice anything unusual during preflgiht. It is also possible something was struck during flight but no evidence was found during a thorough inspection for any type of foreign object damage such as hardware or other unknowns.
As the FAA filed it
DURING CRUISE/LOW APPROACH TO HOSPITAL HELIPAD APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES OUT THE PILOT WINDSHIELD FAILED LOSING 90% OF THE WINDOW. INVESTIGATION BY COMPANY PERSONNEL REVEALED A DENT IN THE WINDSHIELD METAL TRIM JUST FORWARD OF THE PILOT DOOR. THE DENT WAS ABOUT EYE LEVEL AND APPEARED TO BE PUSHED IN HARD ENOUGH THAT IT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE PLEXIGLAS AND SET UP A STRESS POINT. IT IS SUSPECTED THE DENT WAS CAUSED BY CONTACT WITH ANOTHER A/C DURING HANGAR STORAGE OR DUE TO BEING HIT DURING OTHER GROUND ACTIVITIES OR MAINTENANCE ACTIONS SOMETIME PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING PREFLGIHT. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE SOMETHING WAS STRUCK DURING FLIGHT BUT NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND DURING A THOROUGH INSPECTION FOR ANY TYPE OF FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE SUCH AS HARDWARE OR OTHER UNKNOWNS.
Other reports on N509MT · 1
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