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20190429003589I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 · Worthington, PA · April 29, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 29, 2019 · 11:20 local
Place
Worthington, PA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N875ST
Reported as
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C47B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N875STRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407S/N 54449 · Built 2013Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron Canada 407Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C47BTurbo-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.

While enroute from venango regional airport (kfkl), returning to the primary base of operations at arnold palmer regional airport (klbe), Pennsylvania state police helicopter N875ST, was involved in a bird strike incident with an osprey. The bird strike occurred approximately 9 statute miles northwest of mcville airport (6P7), while operating at 2000 feet mean sea level (MSL), and at a cruise speed of 125 knots true air speed (ktas). Weather observations were fair with winds traveling east south east (ese) at approximately 9 miles per hour (mph). The bird impacted the upper outboard portion of the pilot's windshield (right side). Debris from the windshield, the bird, and a large fish struck the pilot's helmet and upper body and splattered remains throughout the cockpit and the cabin. The trooper pilot conducted an emergency landing in an open field in Worthington, Pennsylvania. The helicopter was transported to Mt. Pleasant / scottdale airport (P45) via ground. An inspection of the helicopter post-incident revealed that the damage to the helicopter was limited to the windshield only. No other damage was noted.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ENROUTE FROM VENANGO REGIONAL AIRPORT (KFKL), RETURNING TO THE PRIMARY BASE OF OPERATIONS AT ARNOLD PALMER REGIONAL AIRPORT (KLBE), PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE HELICOPTER N875ST, WAS INVOLVED IN A BIRD STRIKE INCIDENT WITH AN OSPREY. THE BIRD STRIKE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 9 STATUTE MILES NORTHWEST OF MCVILLE AIRPORT (6P7), WHILE OPERATING AT 2000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND AT A CRUISE SPEED OF 125 KNOTS TRUE AIR SPEED (KTAS). WEATHER OBSERVATIONS WERE FAIR WITH WINDS TRAVELING EAST SOUTH EAST (ESE) AT APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES PER HOUR (MPH). THE BIRD IMPACTED THE UPPER OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE PILOT'S WINDSHIELD (RIGHT SIDE). DEBRIS FROM THE WINDSHIELD, THE BIRD, AND A LARGE FISH STRUCK THE PILOT'S HELMET AND UPPER BODY AND SPLATTERED REMAINS THROUGHOUT THE COCKPIT AND THE CABIN. THE TROOPER PILOT CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD IN WORTHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA. THE HELICOPTER WAS TRANSPORTED TO MT. PLEASANT / SCOTTDALE AIRPORT (P45) VIA GROUND. AN INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER POST-INCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER WAS LIMITED TO THE WINDSHIELD ONLY. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED.