# NTSB CEN24LA017: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, N490AE, Mitchell, IN, October 17, 2023

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: October 17, 2023, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place: Mitchell, IN
- Coordinates: 38.769667, -86.419167 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7697&lon=-86.4192&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Indianapolis FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 193266
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN24LA017
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193266/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193266
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA017

## Probable cause

The inflight collision with a bird while in cruise flight.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Ability to respond/compensate (probable cause); cases with it: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=1181455), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md)
- [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=1181455), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901) (defining event); cases with it: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md?model=1181455), [All aircraft, 253 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=1181455), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The air medical flight departed from a hospital and was enroute to the operator’s base of operation. About 30 minutes after departure, while in cruise flight, at an airspeed of about 109 kts and an altitude of about 1,058 ft above ground level, the helicopter encountered a bird strike with a black vulture (Coragyps atratus). A heavy vibration ensued, and the pilot performed an off-airport landing to a field. The helicopter sustained substantial damage, which was a bent pitch change link for the main rotor system, from the bird strike. There was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N490AE](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N490AE), registered now, S/N 52336, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 206L-4
- Registry model: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-canada-206l-4) (registry code 1181455) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce 250-C30P](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c30p) (registry code 54013, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 52336
- Year built: 2006
- Airframe hours: 7344.2
- Engines: Rolls Royce 250-C30P 650 horsepower turbo shaft
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Air Evac MS Inc
- Registered owner: Air Evac MS Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: AAIP, October 8, 2023
- Departed: 81II, Indianapolis, IN
- Destination: Paoli, IN
- Flight plan: Company VFR
- Airport: BFR, Virgil I Grissom Municipal Airport
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 42; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 1, 2023; seat: front; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 2,106 total, 114 in this make and model, 1,992 as pilot in command, 38 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 3,300 ft overcast
- Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observed at: BFR, 4.9 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20231017012299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20231017012299A), Oct 17, 2023: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, Mitchell, IN, Substantial damage. On October 17, 2023 at approximately 1050 eastern standard time a Bell helicopter was enroute (1,000 AGL) back to base from iu methodist, Indiana, when a large…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193266. 2.6 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16322530&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum of correspondence (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16323358&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR-Rel.pdf
- Avian identification results (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 89 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16363635&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Gallo%20Letter%202023-10-17-185724_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 338 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16322437&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Template-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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