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20130912022649I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · MD Helicopters 369E · Waimea, HI · September 12, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
September 12, 2013 · 08:50 local
Place
Waimea, HI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
DCGA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N808JH
Reported as
MD Helicopters 369E
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C20
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
N808JHRegistered now · MD Helicopters 369ES/N 0577E · Built 2008Airframe modelMD Helicopters 369EEngine modelRolls-Royce 250-C20Turbo-shaft

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.

On September 12, 2013, N808JH was enroute on a 60 minute tour flight that had departed from lihue airport at 0830 HST. The helicopter had just entered the Waimea canyon from the southeast and was heading toward waialai falls at approximately 1500? AGL and at a speed of 80 knots.

The pilot heard a radio call from another aircraft that was entering the canyon from the south and the pilot looked in that direction to verify the location of the other helicopter, as he started to look back in direction of his flight, a bird struck the right center windscreen of the helicopter. The pilot did not see the bird before it struck the window.

The bird and a portion of the windscreen entered the cabin and struck the front center passenger in the face. A piece of fragment also flew into the rear of the helicopter and struck the right rear passenger on the finger.

Pilot determined that the helicopter was suitable to continue the flight, and flew to port allen airport (pak), where he landed without further incident. The two passengers that were struck were treated for minor injuries and released from the local hospital. The other two passengers were not injured.

Maintenance inspected the helicopter and found the front right center windscreen shattered with no other damage to the helicopter. The windscreen was removed and replaced at port allen airport. The helicopter was returned to service.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2013, N808JH WAS ENROUTE ON A 60 MINUTE TOUR FLIGHT THAT HAD DEPARTED FROM LIHUE AIRPORT AT 0830 HST. THE HELICOPTER HAD JUST ENTERED THE WAIMEA CANYON FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND WAS HEADING TOWARD WAIALAI FALLS AT APPROXIMATELY 1500? AGL AND AT A SPEED OF 80 KNOTS.

THE PILOT HEARD A RADIO CALL FROM ANOTHER AIRCRAFT THAT WAS ENTERING THE CANYON FROM THE SOUTH AND THE PILOT LOOKED IN THAT DIRECTION TO VERIFY THE LOCATION OF THE OTHER HELICOPTER, AS HE STARTED TO LOOK BACK IN DIRECTION OF HIS FLIGHT, A BIRD STRUCK THE RIGHT CENTER WINDSCREEN OF THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE BIRD BEFORE IT STRUCK THE WINDOW.

THE BIRD AND A PORTION OF THE WINDSCREEN ENTERED THE CABIN AND STRUCK THE FRONT CENTER PASSENGER IN THE FACE. A PIECE OF FRAGMENT ALSO FLEW INTO THE REAR OF THE HELICOPTER AND STRUCK THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER ON THE FINGER.

PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS SUITABLE TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT, AND FLEW TO PORT ALLEN AIRPORT (PAK), WHERE HE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE TWO PASSENGERS THAT WERE STRUCK WERE TREATED FOR MINOR INJURIES AND RELEASED FROM THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED.

MAINTENANCE INSPECTED THE HELICOPTER AND FOUND THE FRONT RIGHT CENTER WINDSCREEN SHATTERED WITH NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER. THE WINDSCREEN WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED AT PORT ALLEN AIRPORT. THE HELICOPTER WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.