PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - EMS AS350 Crash Tucson
View Single Post
Old 6th Aug 2010, 20:20
  #29 (permalink)  
WhirlwindIII
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: US
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bird strike

Never thought of it. I know a BK117 that had both condition levers pushed to idle after a goose hit the upper middle windscreen. The pilot figured it out just prior to entering the trees and wound up saving the aircraft and possibly all on board. Stuff happens very fast and one has to get really determined to deal with it in a hurry or the outcome may not be good. The shock value must be very difficult to overcome.

I flew a AS350D for five years. Never had a strike but some years after it was sold the entire left front, including a portion of the Lexan windscreen, was broken and mangled by hitting a seagull. I'd say at 131 knots a large bird could get through to affect the pilot.
WhirlwindIII is offline