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20110331005729I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · San Antonio, TX · March 31, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 31, 2011 · 20:59 local
Place
San Antonio, TX
Airport
Stinson
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
H2ES
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N299HE
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
11,922 total3,500 in this make and model176 in the last 90 days
N299HERegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 0618 · Built 1999Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Helicopter took off from bulverde airpark with a 141 student to commence night pilot training.Stinson tower cleared acft. To enter left base for runway 09. Aircraft was level at 2000 ft and then started descent for Stinson Airport. At approximatly 1100 ft aircraft was struck in the windshield lower left side by a 1.5 pound bird penetrating the plexiglas which shattered into fragments. Pilot immediatly entered into autorotation desent. Pilot chose to make emergency landing on interstate highway 37. No major injuries were reported by the pilot and student. Aircraft was trailered to Stinson Airport.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER TOOK OFF FROM BULVERDE AIRPARK WITH A 141 STUDENT TO COMMENCE NIGHT PILOT TRAINING.STINSON TOWER CLEARED ACFT. TO ENTER LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 09. AIRCRAFT WAS LEVEL AT 2000 FT AND THEN STARTED DESCENT FOR STINSON AIRPORT. AT APPROXIMATLY 1100 FT AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK IN THE WINDSHIELD LOWER LEFT SIDE BY A 1.5 POUND BIRD PENETRATING THE PLEXIGLAS WHICH SHATTERED INTO FRAGMENTS.PILOT IMMEDIATLY ENTERED INTO AUTOROTATION DESENT. PILOT CHOSE TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 37. NO MAJOR INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT AND STUDENT.AIRCRAFT WAS TRAILERED TO STINSON AIRPORT.