- Date
- November 22, 2021, 14:34 local (20:34 UTC)
- Place
- Austin, TX
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N307TCLeonardo AW169
- Defining event
- Enroute: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20211122018529A
- Case key
- 104335
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
The helicopter’s impact with a bird during cruise flight.
Findings · 2
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 pilot of the medical helicopter reported that, while transporting a patient, the medical crewmember seated in the front left seat identified the bird and announced its presence to the pilot. The pilot attempted to turn and descend to avoid impact, but the bird struck the helicopter’s windshield, windshield support beam, and greenhouse window, which resulted in substantial damage to the windshield support beam. The pilot diverted the helicopter to a nearby helipad and landed without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N307TC
- Reported as
- Leonardo AW169
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 69081
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 640
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PW210A, 850 horsepower, turbo shaftPratt & Whitney PW210A, 850 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Operator
- County Of Travis
- Registered owner
- County Of Travis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 11, 2022
- Departed
- PVT · Bastrop, TX
- Destination
- TE94 · Austin, TX
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- TE94
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Video recording device, ADS-B
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 4,150 total · 125 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KAUS, 5 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAUS 222053Z 35011KT 10SM SCT300 21/00 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP241 T02060000 56026=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.