33.9529° N, 83.9922° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs: center of Lawrenceville, GA, within about 6 miles.Open in the map
Date
March 28, 2012 · 17:24 local
Place
Lawrenceville, GA
Airport
Gwinnett County Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5189K
Reported as
Hughes Helicopters 369E
Reported engine
Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,922 total885 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days
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.
Aircraft was departing from Gwinnett County Airport and at approximately 400 feet AGL the pilot heard a loud noise followed by a momentary shudder. The pilot notified the tower that he had a problem and returned to the airport. Upon post flight inspection he found that the aircraft encountered a bird strike and damaged one of the main rotor blades. No injuries were reported.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS DEPARTING FROM GWINNETT COUNTY AIRPORT AND AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET AGL THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY A MOMENTARY SHUDDER. THE PILOT NOTIFIED THE TOWER THAT HE HAD A PROBLEM AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT. UPON POST FLIGHT INSPECTION HE FOUND THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A BIRD STRIKE AND DAMAGED ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.