- Date
- October 20, 2013, 11:08 local (16:08 UTC)
- Place
- Madison, MS
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N911ESEurocopter AS 350 B2
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20131020020489A
- Case key
- 88249
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 collision with a black vulture during climb to cruise altitude.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, he was climbing the helicopter through 1,300 feet when he felt an "explosion" in his face that knocked his visor up and affected both his visibility and crew communications. The pilot was eventually able to get his visor back down and land the helicopter, where it was discovered that both windshields were blown out, the center post and the cabin shell were damaged, the doors were blown open and onboard medical equipment was missing. On the ground, a crewmember stated that just before the event, he had seen a black bird fly toward the helicopter from above and left, but did not have enough time to call it out. Analysis of onboard residual bird feathers and a photograph of the suspect bird carcass indicated that it was a black vulture, which can weigh up to 4.8 pounds.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was climbing the helicopter through 1,300 feet when he felt an "explosion" in his face that knocked his visor up and affected both his visibility and crew communications. The pilot was eventually able to get his visor back down and land the helicopter, where it was discovered that both windshields were blown out, the center post and the cabin shell were damaged, the doors were blown open and onboard medical equipment was missing. On the ground, a crewmember stated that just before the event, he had seen a black bird fly toward the helicopter from above and left, but did not have enough time to call it out. Analysis of onboard residual bird feathers and a photograph of the suspect bird carcass indicated that it was a black vulture, which can weigh up to 4.8 pounds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N911ES
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (B2)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2665
- Built
- 1992
- Airframe hours
- 8,374
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 1D1, 732 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Metro Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Metro Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 18, 2013
- Departed
- 4MS6 · Jackson, MS
- Destination
- 5A6 · Winona, MS
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 27, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 770 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KJAN, 19 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 27, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.
Other investigations on N911ES · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.