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20180427004169I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Lakeland, FL · April 27, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 27, 2018 · 12:00 local
Place
Lakeland, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7JR
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Allison 250 SER 400HP
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot

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.

Incident location:

Original take off location & landing location : 3131 flight line drive, Lakeland FL airport code lal, ramp location : lance aviation

Investigation:

FSDO was notified of a bird strike by the lal airport administration requesting support the Lakeland fire department with an unknown problem with a helicopter landing at lance aviation. It was reported that a large bird had struck the windshield of the helicopter while in flight, broke through it, and struck the pilot. The pilot received minor scrapes around his face; however, he was able to safely return and land the helicopter. The pilot had just picked up the helicopter which had been at lance aviation for maintenance and took off to fly it back to citrus county mosquito center, he advised that between 800 to 1000 feet the bird which was identified as a (north American vulture) just appeared and slammed into the windshield. He advised he didn't see the bird prior to impact and there is no way he could have avoided it. The headphones he was wearing were cracked on the side where the bird entered and struck him. It appeared after striking the pilot, the bird struck a metal wall between the pilot seats and dropped into the backseat floorboard area behind the pilot and remained there. Police officer took the following actions:

Observed the damage to the helicopter and it was consistent with the pilot's statement. I took photographs of the helicopter. The damage, and the vulture which was still in the helicopter for documentation purposes, a hard copy of this report and the pictures remain at the sos office. Col airport operations notified the FAA roc, NTSB roc, and fisdo of the incident. The helicopter was wheeled into the lance aviation hangar where it will be stored until the FAA inspector arrives Monday 04/30/2018 to personally inspect the aircraft.

Inspector from this office visited the helicopter and inspected and found to be consistent with the pilot report.

Informed the repair station and mechanics the importance to perform a hidden damage inspection of the whole craft and rotor blades for addition damage.

Instructed the pilot to submit a wildlife strike reporting form and was provided the following report number# 2018-4-27-130724

As the FAA filed it

INCIDENT LOCATION:

ORIGINAL TAKE OFF LOCATION & LANDING LOCATION : 3131 FLIGHT LINE DRIVE, LAKELAND FL AIRPORT CODE LAL, RAMP LOCATION : LANCE AVIATION

INVESTIGATION:

FSDO WAS NOTIFIED OF A BIRD STRIKE BY THE LAL AIRPORT ADMINISTRATION REQUESTING SUPPORT THE LAKELAND FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM WITH A HELICOPTER LANDING AT LANCE AVIATION. IT WAS REPORTED THAT A LARGE BIRD HAD STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD OF THE HELICOPTER WHILE IN FLIGHT, BROKE THROUGH IT, AND STRUCK THE PILOT. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR SCRAPES AROUND HIS FACE; HOWEVER, HE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN AND LAND THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT HAD JUST PICKED UP THE HELICOPTER WHICH HAD BEEN AT LANCE AVIATION FOR MAINTENANCE AND TOOK OFF TO FLY IT BACK TO CITRUS COUNTY MOSQUITO CENTER, HE ADVISED THAT BETWEEN 800 TO 1000 FEET THE BIRD WHICH WAS IDENTIFIED AS A (NORTH AMERICAN VULTURE) JUST APPEARED AND SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. HE ADVISED HE DIDN'T SEE THE BIRD PRIOR TO IMPACT AND THERE IS NO WAY HE COULD HAVE AVOIDED IT. THE HEADPHONES HE WAS WEARING WERE CRACKED ON THE SIDE WHERE THE BIRD ENTERED AND STRUCK HIM. IT APPEARED AFTER STRIKING THE PILOT, THE BIRD STRUCK A METAL WALL BETWEEN THE PILOT SEATS AND DROPPED INTO THE BACKSEAT FLOORBOARD AREA BEHIND THE PILOT AND REMAINED THERE. POLICE OFFICER TOOK THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:

OBSERVED THE DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER AND IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE PILOT'S STATEMENT. I TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HELICOPTER. THE DAMAGE, AND THE VULTURE WHICH WAS STILL IN THE HELICOPTER FOR DOCUMENTATION PURPOSES, A HARD COPY OF THIS REPORT AND THE PICTURES REMAIN AT THE SOS OFFICE. COL AIRPORT OPERATIONS NOTIFIED THE FAA ROC, NTSB ROC, AND FISDO OF THE INCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER WAS WHEELED INTO THE LANCE AVIATION HANGAR WHERE IT WILL BE STORED UNTIL THE FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVES MONDAY 04/30/2018 TO PERSONALLY INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT.

INSPECTOR FROM THIS OFFICE VISITED THE HELICOPTER AND INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE PILOT REPORT.

INFORMED THE REPAIR STATION AND MECHANICS THE IMPORTANCE TO PERFORM A HIDDEN DAMAGE INSPECTION OF THE WHOLE CRAFT AND ROTOR BLADES FOR ADDITION DAMAGE.

INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO SUBMIT A WILDLIFE STRIKE REPORTING FORM AND WAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING REPORT NUMBER# 2018-4-27-130724