- Date
- October 29, 2014, 12:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N67GARobinson Helicopter R66
- Defining event
- Enroute: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Case key
- 90359
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An in-flight bird strike.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The instructor pilot stated the intent of the flight was to practice autorotations, 180 degree autorotations and emergency procedures at another local airport. While enroute, approximately 1500 feet above the ground, three birds flew toward the helicopter. The instructor pilot took the controls as one of the birds and the retreating main rotor blade collided. The pilot landed the helicopter without further incident. Examination of the helicopter revealed substantial damage to the main rotor blade.
Factual narrative
The instructor pilot stated the intent of the flight was to practice autorotations, 180 degree autorotations and emergency procedures at another local airport. While enroute, approximately 1500 feet above the ground, three birds flew toward the helicopter. The instructor pilot took the controls as one of the birds and the retreating main rotor blade collided. The pilot landed the helicopter without further incident. Examination of the helicopter revealed substantial damage to the main rotor blade.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67GA
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R66 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0485
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 662.91
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C300/A1, 300 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Guidance Academy, LLC, doing business as Guidance Aviation
- Registered owner
- Guidance Louisiana LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 13, 2014
- Departed
- BTR · Baton Rouge, LA
- Destination
- L38 · Gonzales, LA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 15, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 942 total · 43 in this make and model · 788 as pilot in command · 124 in the last 90 days · 99 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 8, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 112 total · 18 in this make and model · 59 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KBTR
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 7, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
Other investigations on N67GA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.