20210918013009I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 407 · Conroe, TX · September 18, 2021

Date: September 18, 2021 · 17:18 local
Place: Conroe, TX
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: EVCA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N512MT
Reported as: Bell 407
Reported engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47B
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,300 total

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.

Helicopter departed VFR, east bound approximately 14 miles east, medical crew called out "birds", pilot heard noise in back of helicopter, no flight control feedback no main rotor RPM drop indicated. Advised tower of possible bird strike. Returned to departure airport. Ground inspection revealed birds had struck one mr blade (no damage) vertical stab in two places and left stab one place. Helicopter repaired at arrival airport and returned to service.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER DEPARTED VFR, EAST BOUND APPROXIMATELY 14 MILES EAST, MEDICAL CREW CALLED OUT "BIRDS", PILOT HEARD NOISE IN BACK OF HELICOPTER, NO FLIGHT CONTROL FEEDBACK NO MAIN ROTOR RPM DROP INDICATED. ADVISED TOWER OF POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE. RETURNED TO DEPARTURE AIRPORT. GROUND INSPECTION REVEALED BIRDS HAD STRUCK ONE MR BLADE (NO DAMAGE) VERTICAL STAB IN TWO PLACES AND LEFT STAB ONE PLACE. HELICOPTER REPAIRED AT ARRIVAL AIRPORT AND RETURNED TO SERVICE.