20260411010789I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airbus Helicopters Deutschland EC135T3 · Freeport, PA · April 11, 2026

Date: April 11, 2026 · 23:30 local
Place: Freeport, PA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: E3MA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N537ME
Reported as: Airbus Helicopters Deutschland EC135T3
Reported engine: SAFRAN ARRIUS-2B2
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,409 total

N537MERegistered now · Airbus Helicopters Deutschland EC135T3S/N 2136 · Built 2020 Airframe modelAirbus Helicopters Deutschland EC135T3 Engine modelSafran ARRIUS-2B2Turbo-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.

During cruise flight (120 KTS / 1000 feet AGL), a very small bird the size of a sparrow, hit the left chin bubble about 3 inches below the support between the windscreen and the chin bubble. Bird remnants hit the pedals and made its way past the collective on the copilot side and into the back of the aircraft. Aircraft landed without further issue. Post-incident inspection by maintenance personnel revealed damage limited to the broken left chin bubble. Pilot filed FAA form 5200-7, bird and other wildlife strike report, number 2026-04-14-083554, as requested.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT (120 KTS / 1000 FEET AGL), A VERY SMALL BIRD THE SIZE OF A SPARROW, HIT THE LEFT CHIN BUBBLE ABOUT 3 INCHES BELOW THE SUPPORT BETWEEN THE WINDSCREEN AND THE CHIN BUBBLE. BIRD REMNANTS HIT THE PEDALS AND MADE ITS WAY PAST THE COLLECTIVE ON THE COPILOT SIDE AND INTO THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE. POST-INCIDENT INSPECTION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REVEALED DAMAGE LIMITED TO THE BROKEN LEFT CHIN BUBBLE. PILOT FILED FAA FORM 5200-7, BIRD AND OTHER WILDLIFE STRIKE REPORT, NUMBER 2026-04-14-083554, AS REQUESTED.