SCHWEIZER 269C-1
Titusville, FL, October 6, 2010
Event Information
| Date | October 6, 2010 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Titusville, FL |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 28.51472, -80.79916 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | ERA11CA012 |
| Event ID | 20101007X32553 |
Aircraft
| Make | SCHWEIZER |
| Model | 269C-1 |
| Registration # | N2074B |
| Operator | BRISTOW ACADEMY INC |
| Owner | BRISTOW ACADEMY INC |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
An inadvertent in-flight collision with a bird.
Full Narrative
According to the pilot, he was flying at 1,000 feet when he noticed a large bird located to the right of his flight path. As the bird started to circle towards the helicopter, the pilot tried to avoid it by making a sharp left turn. When the helicopter was in a steep left bank, the pilot felt a "thump in the aircraft and cyclic control," and the cyclic became "sluggish and spongy." The pilot completed a controlled descent and landed the helicopter in the median of a highway. An examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the main rotor blades required replacement. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the helicopter prior to the in-flight collision.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.