What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 24, 2023, privacy data omitted was assigned a public operations mission working a grid search just northeast of the privacy data omitted. Mission parameters were 150' AGL and 70 knots ground speed. The crew saw a black plate like object believed to be a suas (drone) tilted toward the helicopter (leading edge low, trailing edge high) closing rapidly and it passed above the cockpit windscreens followed by the thump of a collision. The pilot flying initiated a climb and after assessing flight controllability and engine parameters, the pilot monitoring notified kind tower. Flight was continued uneventfully to keye where the crew was based for the mission. Personnel on board the aircraft saw "parts (meaning drone parts) fall away from the aircraft".
The drone (or object) that is beleived to have struck the helicopter was never recovered and the operator has not been located. The damage was confined to a potential scuff mark on the leading edge abrasion strip of the blue main rotor blade and impact damage in the rotor mast forward fairing (near the top and just inboard of the starbord side from the centerline of the aircraft). It was a very small "u" shaped impact mark that just went through the first layer of fierglass (7/8"X5/8"). There were also three small black linear marks in the paint just above the dent and one small linear scratch (1 5/8") in the paint just aft and below the dent.
There was nothing in the background that was a factor in not being able to see the object and the flight crew also reported seeing two birds in the same area at the same time. The object was black with no lights. The rotorcraft was transmitting ADS-B data and the flight crew was wearing eye protection at the time of the event. There was no evidance of "snarge" found during the inspection performed by the maintenance crew. In addition, the damage was calssified as negligable and confined to a non-primary structure.
This report may be amended in the event additional factual information is received about the drone and/or drone operator.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 24, 2023, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ASSIGNED A PUBLIC OPERATIONS MISSION WORKING A GRID SEARCH JUST NORTHEAST OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. MISSION PARAMETERS WERE 150' AGL AND 70 KNOTS GROUND SPEED. THE CREW SAW A BLACK PLATE LIKE OBJECT BELIEVED TO BE A SUAS (DRONE) TILTED TOWARD THE HELICOPTER (LEADING EDGE LOW, TRAILING EDGE HIGH) CLOSING RAPIDLY AND IT PASSED ABOVE THE COCKPIT WINDSCREENS FOLLOWED BY THE THUMP OF A COLLISION. THE PILOT FLYING INITIATED A CLIMB AND AFTER ASSESSING FLIGHT CONTROLLABILITY AND ENGINE PARAMETERS, THE PILOT MONITORING NOTIFIED KIND TOWER. FLIGHT WAS CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO KEYE WHERE THE CREW WAS BASED FOR THE MISSION. PERSONNEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT SAW "PARTS (MEANING DRONE PARTS) FALL AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT".
THE DRONE (OR OBJECT) THAT IS BELEIVED TO HAVE STRUCK THE HELICOPTER WAS NEVER RECOVERED AND THE OPERATOR HAS NOT BEEN LOCATED. THE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO A POTENTIAL SCUFF MARK ON THE LEADING EDGE ABRASION STRIP OF THE BLUE MAIN ROTOR BLADE AND IMPACT DAMAGE IN THE ROTOR MAST FORWARD FAIRING (NEAR THE TOP AND JUST INBOARD OF THE STARBORD SIDE FROM THE CENTERLINE OF THE AIRCRAFT). IT WAS A VERY SMALL "U" SHAPED IMPACT MARK THAT JUST WENT THROUGH THE FIRST LAYER OF FIERGLASS (7/8"X5/8"). THERE WERE ALSO THREE SMALL BLACK LINEAR MARKS IN THE PAINT JUST ABOVE THE DENT AND ONE SMALL LINEAR SCRATCH (1 5/8") IN THE PAINT JUST AFT AND BELOW THE DENT.
THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE BACKGROUND THAT WAS A FACTOR IN NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE OBJECT AND THE FLIGHT CREW ALSO REPORTED SEEING TWO BIRDS IN THE SAME AREA AT THE SAME TIME. THE OBJECT WAS BLACK WITH NO LIGHTS. THE ROTORCRAFT WAS TRANSMITTING ADS-B DATA AND THE FLIGHT CREW WAS WEARING EYE PROTECTION AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. THERE WAS NO EVIDANCE OF "SNARGE" FOUND DURING THE INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE MAINTENANCE CREW. IN ADDITION, THE DAMAGE WAS CALSSIFIED AS NEGLIGABLE AND CONFINED TO A NON-PRIMARY STRUCTURE.
THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED IN THE EVENT ADDITIONAL FACTUAL INFORMATION IS RECEIVED ABOUT THE DRONE AND/OR DRONE OPERATOR.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.