- Date
- November 21, 2023, 21:00 local (Nov 22, 2023, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dodge Center, MN
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N423NMAirbus Helicopters Deutschland EC135T3
- Defining event
- Enroute: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231121016689A
- Case key
- 193462
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 collision with a flock of birds.
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
During a dark night flight in visual meteorological conditions, an emergency medical services helicopter collided with a flock of birds about 1,100 ft above ground level. The impact shattered the windscreen and caused what the pilot described as an explosion. Despite the damage, the pilot was able to stabilize the helicopter and head towards the nearest airport, about 7.5 miles away. The helicopter landed without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed substantial damage to the main rotor blades in the pitch control cuff area and the monocoque structure of the fantail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N423NM
- Reported as
- Airbus Helicopters Deutschland EC135T3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2193
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 420
- Engines
- Safran Arrius 2B2, 643 horsepower, turbo shaftSafran Arrius 2B2, 643 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 135
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 2023 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- 99MN · Rochester, MN
- Destination
- FBL · Fairbault, MN
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Video recording device, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 28
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,124 total · 80 in this make and model · 37 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 310° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KTOB, 4 nm away
- METAR
- KTOB 220255Z AUTO31011G16KT 10SM CLR M02/M04 A3010
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.