Lifenet Medevac diverts after bird strike 5/19/12

[JetPhoto 626]

I'm glad the crew is ok to fly another day!

Medevac diverts after bird strike

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2012/May/20/Medevac_bird-20May12.htm

[helicopper 1,050]

A red tailed hawk caused an AH-1W Cobra helicopter to crash last week killing both Marines aboard near Camp Pendleton, CA. The crash also started a 120 acre brush fire.

I'm happy to see that the LifeNet crew was able to land safely.

[NHFD21255 141]

I know nothing about helicopters so please don't think this is a stupid question but where on the helicopter could a bird strike affect it. Other than going thru the windshield, I would think the rotors would make bird jerky out of that thing

[JetPhoto 626]

NHFD21255 not a stupid question, but I imagine anything striking a helicopter could be dangerous and it's better to land and be sure everything is ok than to assume it is.

[helicopper 1,050]

I know nothing about helicopters so please don't think this is a stupid question but where on the helicopter could a bird strike affect it. Other than going thru the windshield, I would think the rotors would make bird jerky out of that thing

In the case of the Cobra crash, the bird struck a pitch change link on the main rotor system. This created a tremendous imbalance and vibrations that broke the rotor system apart. Once the rotors broke up, the aircraft came apart and crashed.

There are several vulnerable parts of a helicopter beside the pitch change links but that's what the hawk hit. It was a fluke but all aircraft have their weaknesses. Think of the space shuttle; ceramic tiles lead to its ultimate demise.

[helicopper 1,050]

NHFD21255 not a stupid question, but I imagine anything striking a helicopter could be dangerous and it's better to land and be sure everything is ok than to assume it is.

Absolutely true. Some areas are much more vulnerable though. One PD helicopter in our area had a seagull embedded in the nose cone but landed without incident. The seagull was not so lucky.

[NHFD21255 141]

Amazing what a bird can do, that’s why I try to do my part and help with the goose population LOL

[ny10570 745]

Helicopters are a phenomenal asset. Stories like this however hopefully make providers think carefully about utilizing them. Aircraft don't don't tend to fail "small". Ambulance hits a deer or engine fails on the way to the ER you put the patient in another ambulance. In a helicopter too often the whole crew and patient go to the morgue. "Well, since its here." Is never a justification for flying out a patient. If the flight will actually save time and the patient needs those minutes, then absolutely fly them out.

[50-65 205]

In this case, the patient was intubated and had a nasty fractured leg. Don't know if they just checked out the helicopter and continued or transferred the pt. upon landing. Made my heart skip a beat when the county called to advise us of the incident. Other than some unexpected manuevers by the pilot, I didn't see anything occur when they left the LZ.