20230608006719I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+ · Wilmington, NC · June 8, 2023

Date
June 8, 2023 · 16:30 local
Place
Wilmington, NC
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
454A
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N135MW
Reported as
Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,161 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.

When flying into 45NR (new hanover rmc pad) for resupply, after a flight to the augusta Georgia burn center, privacy data omitted

Had a bird strike with a turkey vulture. privacy data omitted Had just frequency changed from Wilmington tower to flight operations when pilot heard a loud bang and loud rush of air in the cockpit. privacy data omitted Was at approximately 700' AGL and between 90-100 knots in a slight decent setting up to fly around the hospital clockwise to land to the west (into the wind). Pilot slowed the aircraft and reduced power. As the aircraft decelerated pilot could see a big hole in the chin bubble and the wing and head of the bird, windscreen had a hole and large crack in it. Pilot checked flight control

Responses and status of the crew. The aircraft flew normally and no crewmembers were injured. Pilot landed the aircraft in the grass off the east side of the pad.

As the FAA filed it

WHEN FLYING INTO 45NR (NEW HANOVER RMC PAD) FOR RESUPPLY, AFTER A FLIGHT TO THE AUGUSTA GEORGIA BURN CENTER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

HAD A BIRD STRIKE WITH A TURKEY VULTURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD JUST FREQUENCY CHANGED FROM WILMINGTON TOWER TO FLIGHT OPERATIONS WHEN PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND LOUD RUSH OF AIR IN THE COCKPIT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 700' AGL AND BETWEEN 90-100 KNOTS IN A SLIGHT DECENT SETTING UP TO FLY AROUND THE HOSPITAL CLOCKWISE TO LAND TO THE WEST (INTO THE WIND). PILOT SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND REDUCED POWER. AS THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED PILOT COULD SEE A BIG HOLE IN THE CHIN BUBBLE AND THE WING AND HEAD OF THE BIRD, WINDSCREEN HAD A HOLE AND LARGE CRACK IN IT. PILOT CHECKED FLIGHT CONTROL

RESPONSES AND STATUS OF THE CREW. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW NORMALLY AND NO CREWMEMBERS WERE INJURED. PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE GRASS OFF THE EAST SIDE OF THE PAD.