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20160306001659I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 · Palm Beach, FL · March 6, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 6, 2016 · 08:17 local
Place
Palm Beach, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N795RB
Reported as
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C47B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,450 total1,195 in this make and model56 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 flying 4NM, NE of west Palm Beach international (pbi), southeast bound, at 300 ft. AGL/110 KTS. The pilot had just received a clearance from the tower controller to proceed inbound to pbi on the ocean north arrival. That is when, the copilot saw the bird, and called out "bird" but the pilot did not have enough time to respond due to the bird being at close proximity to the aircraft. The sea gull broke through the right side of the windshield, struck the back side of right instrument panel, and then struck the pilot in the helmet. The bird came to final rest in the pilot's lap. The pilot continued flight and slowed the aircraft to 60 KTS to prevent additional damage to the windshield. He contacted the tower controller to inform of the bird strike and was cleared to land at the sheriff?s hanger. Only a minor scratch to the pilot's mouth was reported. The aircraft sustained damage to the right, lower side of the windshield. Both pilots were wearing helmets, and strapped to their seats properly. Bird strike FAA form 5200.7 was submitted by the Palm Beach sheriff office.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING 4NM, NE OF WEST PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL (PBI), SOUTHEAST BOUND, AT 300 FT. AGL/110 KTS. THE PILOT HAD JUST RECEIVED A CLEARANCE FROM THE TOWER CONTROLLER TO PROCEED INBOUND TO PBI ON THE OCEAN NORTH ARRIVAL. THAT IS WHEN, THE COPILOT SAW THE BIRD, AND CALLED OUT "BIRD" BUT THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO RESPOND DUE TO THE BIRD BEING AT CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE SEA GULL BROKE THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD, STRUCK THE BACK SIDE OF RIGHT INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND THEN STRUCK THE PILOT IN THE HELMET. THE BIRD CAME TO FINAL REST IN THE PILOT'S LAP. THE PILOT CONTINUED FLIGHT AND SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO 60 KTS TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. HE CONTACTED THE TOWER CONTROLLER TO INFORM OF THE BIRD STRIKE AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND AT THE SHERIFF?S HANGER. ONLY A MINOR SCRATCH TO THE PILOT'S MOUTH WAS REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT, LOWER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. BOTH PILOTS WERE WEARING HELMETS, AND STRAPPED TO THEIR SEATS PROPERLY. BIRD STRIKE FAA FORM 5200.7 WAS SUBMITTED BY THE PALM BEACH SHERIFF OFFICE.