20230426002539I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airbus Helicopters AS350B3 · Goodyear, AZ · April 26, 2023

Date
April 26, 2023 · 20:15 local
Place
Goodyear, AZ
Airport
Goodyear
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
M3XA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N880GT
Reported as
Airbus Helicopters AS350B3
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIEL-2D
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,500 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.

Aircraft en route with crew and 1 patient 15 NM sw gyr at 2,500' MSL involved in bird strike incident. Possibly 2 birds involved. Bird 1 penetrating nose of aircraft on left side. Bird 2 striking wind screen on pilot's side. (Right side) pilot, 2 crew and 1 patient were uninjured. PIC assessed controllability of aircraft and noted no changes in flight characteristics / performance other than the immediate presssure change upon impact. PIC elected to divert to gyr to land as prompltly as possible. PIC contacted gyr ATC to advise of the event and proceeded to approach and land at own risk on the helipad. PIC contacted operator of aircraft to notify of event and safe on ground call- coordinated pick of patient.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT EN ROUTE WITH CREW AND 1 PATIENT 15 NM SW GYR AT 2,500' MSL INVOLVED IN BIRD STRIKE INCIDENT. POSSIBLY 2 BIRDS INVOLVED. BIRD 1 PENETRATING NOSE OF AIRCRAFT ON LEFT SIDE. BIRD 2 STRIKING WIND SCREEN ON PILOT'S SIDE. (RIGHT SIDE) PILOT, 2 CREW AND 1 PATIENT WERE UNINJURED. PIC ASSESSED CONTROLLABILITY OF AIRCRAFT AND NOTED NO CHANGES IN FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS / PERFORMANCE OTHER THAN THE IMMEDIATE PRESSSURE CHANGE UPON IMPACT. PIC ELECTED TO DIVERT TO GYR TO LAND AS PROMPLTLY AS POSSIBLE. PIC CONTACTED GYR ATC TO ADVISE OF THE EVENT AND PROCEEDED TO APPROACH AND LAND AT OWN RISK ON THE HELIPAD. PIC CONTACTED OPERATOR OF AIRCRAFT TO NOTIFY OF EVENT AND SAFE ON GROUND CALL- COORDINATED PICK OF PATIENT.