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| Date: | Wednesday 24 March 2021 |
| Time: | 22:01 LT |
| Type: |  Airbus Helicopters H145 |
| Owner/operator: | Schweizerische Luft-Ambulanz |
| Registration: | HB-ZQJ |
| MSN: | 20232 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2018 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bretigny-sur-Morrens -
 Switzerland
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Hôpital d’Yverdon-Les-Bains |
| Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne | |
| Investigating agency: | STSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During a night flight for a patient transfer, the helicopter was hit by a large bird that flew through the cockpit on the right side at rudder level.
Analysis and Conclusions
The impact of the bird surprised the crew while the helicopter was in night cruise flight. Therefore, it was not possible to detect the presence of birds and attempt an avoidance maneuver. The shattering of the canopy with the penetration of the bird and the projection of remains into the dark cockpit must have caused a stress situation that was well managed by the pilot.
After a quick check of the power and airworthiness of the helicopter, the decision to divert to its base was appropriate. The pilot's equipment, including the helmet, a sturdy suit, and mountain shoes, contributed to the pilot's physical integrity.
This type of collision has occurred a few times since this type of helicopter was put into operation, and the manufacturer has implemented a passive protection improvement program. A canopy made of a different material and a new bonding technique have been tested with operators, including Rega, for evaluation purposes.
For the serialization of the chosen solution, Airbus Helicopters still needs to, among other things, validate the attachment of the canopy to the cabin structure and go through the certification process. For these reasons, it is difficult to predict a final certification date.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.sust.admin.ch/inhalte/AV-berichte/HB-ZQJ_VB_F.pdf
https://aerossurance.com/air-accidents-incidents/hems-h145-bird-strike/
Location
Media:
HEMS H145 Bird Strike: Even though the bird entered at floor level, the HEMS pilot's helmet was still splattered with debris. https://t.co/RmzTF4o7Zn#hems #airambulance #helicopter #birdstrike #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/vg9mpD0kD8
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) March 30, 2024
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Feb-2022 10:58 | harro | Added |
| 19-Mar-2024 19:57 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
| 30-Mar-2024 14:30 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 30-Mar-2024 14:33 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code] |
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