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20191111020999I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Titusville, FL · November 11, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 11, 2019 · 14:30 local
Place
Titusville, FL
Airport
Space Coast Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1751
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C20B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
9,500 total1,600 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days
N1751Registered now · Bell 206BS/N 3284 · Built 1981Airframe modelBell 206BEngine modelRolls-Royce 250-C20BTurbo-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.

On November 11, 2019, at approximately 14.30 local time, the flight instructor and student of N1751, a Bell helicopter BHT206-B3, practiced traffic patterns at a training area about 6 miles west of Space Coast Regional Airport, ktix.

While the student turned base to final at 300 feet, the flight instructor noticed two birds. He immediately took the flight controls away from the student, but one of the birds already struck and went through the left side of the windshield. The bird, later identified as a vulture, came to rest in the cockpit, leaving a large hole in the windshield and blood stains inside the helicopter. The instructor was able to land the helicopter safely in the practice area. Aside from the broken windshield, there was no further damage to the aircraft. The instructor and student did not experience any injuries. VMC conditions were reported at the time of the incident.

While shutting down the helicopter, the vulture started to flap its wings. The instructor pulled the bird outside of the aircraft and it walked away limping.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 11, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 14.30 LOCAL TIME, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT OF N1751, A BELL HELICOPTER BHT206-B3, PRACTICED TRAFFIC PATTERNS AT A TRAINING AREA ABOUT 6 MILES WEST OF SPACE COAST REGIONAL AIRPORT, KTIX.

WHILE THE STUDENT TURNED BASE TO FINAL AT 300 FEET, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOTICED TWO BIRDS. HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AWAY FROM THE STUDENT, BUT ONE OF THE BIRDS ALREADY STRUCK AND WENT THROUGH THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE BIRD, LATER IDENTIFIED AS A VULTURE, CAME TO REST IN THE COCKPIT, LEAVING A LARGE HOLE IN THE WINDSHIELD AND BLOOD STAINS INSIDE THE HELICOPTER. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ABLE TO LAND THE HELICOPTER SAFELY IN THE PRACTICE AREA. ASIDE FROM THE BROKEN WINDSHIELD, THERE WAS NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY INJURIES. VMC CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

WHILE SHUTTING DOWN THE HELICOPTER, THE VULTURE STARTED TO FLAP ITS WINGS. THE INSTRUCTOR PULLED THE BIRD OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IT WALKED AWAY LIMPING.