20151026017799I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Eurocopter EC 130 B4 · Wises Landing, KY · October 26, 2015

Date: October 26, 2015 · 15:49 local
Place: Wises Landing, KY
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: QMLA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N344AM
Reported as: Eurocopter EC 130 B4
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1

N344AMRegistered now · Eurocopter EC 130 B4S/N 7235 · Built 2011 Airframe modelEurocopter EC 130 B4 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-2B1Turbo-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.

Pilot tried to avoid the bird, but a large buzzard came through the main rotor blades and broke out the right hand greenhouse window striking flight medic in the helmet and impacting rear bulkhead. Flight medic had minor injury. Pilot made an immediate Landing to a field in the area of Wises Landing , KY, close to the air methods base in bedford , KY. Medic was transported to er via ambulance as a precaution. Aircraft was loaded on trailer and brought to hems base for better evaluation of damage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TRIED TO AVOID THE BIRD, BUT A LARGE BUZZARD CAME THROUGH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND BROKE OUT THE RIGHT HAND GREENHOUSE WINDOW STRIKING FLIGHT MEDIC IN THE HELMET AND IMPACTING REAR BULKHEAD. FLIGHT MEDIC HAD MINOR INJURY. PILOT MADE AN IMMEDIATE LANDING TO A FIELD IN THE AREA OF WISES LANDING , KY, CLOSE TO THE AIR METHODS BASE IN BEDFORD , KY. MEDIC WAS TRANSPORTED TO ER VIA AMBULANCE AS A PRECAUTION. AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED ON TRAILER AND BROUGHT TO HEMS BASE FOR BETTER EVALUATION OF DAMAGE.