# Incident 20151123023249I: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Van Nuys, CA, November 23, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 23, 2015, 19:09 local time
- Place: Van Nuys, CA
- Airport: Van Nuys
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: L42S
- Location: 34.2098° N, 118.4900° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VAN NUYS (VNY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2098&lon=-118.4900&mi=10
- Aircraft: N346VH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N346VH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (registry code 42139, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-b2c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151123023249I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON NOVEMBER 23, 2015, ROBINSON HELICOPTER N346VH WAS FLYING AT 2000 FEET AND APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VAN NUYS AIRPORT WHEN AN OBJECT STRUCK THE WINDSCREEN.

THERE WERE TWO PILOTS INSIDE THE HELICOPTER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A STUDENT PILOT. THE OBJECT SHATTERED THE LEFT (LOOKING OUT) WINDSCREEN AND SPRAYED BOTH PILOTS WITH PIECES OF PLEXIGLASS, BUT NEITHER WERE INJURED.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED AT THE VAN NUYS AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND INSPECTED THE HELICOPTER. A BIRD WAS SUSPECTED BUT NO VISIBLE BIRD SNARGE WAS FOUND. BROKEN PIECES OF PLEXIGLASS WERE FOUND ALONG WITH AN APPROXIMATE THREE INCH LONG SCRATCH ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CONSOLE.

AFTER THE EVIDENCE SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED AND SHIPPED FOR ANALYSIS, CONFIRMATION WAS RECEIVED THAT BIRD DNA WAS FOUND ON THE PLEXIGLASS.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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