- Date
- October 27, 2024, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Canal Winchester, OH
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N54AEBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20241027014559A
- Case key
- 195405
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
An in-flight collision with a bird while in cruise flight.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the enroute portion of the flight, a large bird impacted the top of the helicopter’s fuselage and main rotor, resulting in substantial damage to a pitch control link and a subsequent vibration. The pilot elected to make a precautionary landing in a nearby field and was able to land uneventfully.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54AE
- Reported as
- Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45157
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 40,027
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce M250-C30P, 250 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 135
- Operator
- Air Evac Ems Inc
- Registered owner
- Air Evac Ems Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 26, 2024
- Departed
- Columbus, OH
- Destination
- Lancaster, OH
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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 · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 19, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,160 total · 4,800 in this make and model
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.33 inHg
- Observed at
- LCK, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KLCK 271855Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 14/M01 A3033 RMK AO2 T01361012
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.8 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.