Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Washington, Louisiana 70589
Friday, December 30, 2005 15:45 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 13,355-hour air transport pilot was in cruise flight at approximately 500 feet mean sea level (MSL) at approximately 120 miles per hour. The pilot looked down to scan the helicopter's instruments. As he began to look up, a large buzzard collided with the right windscreen and struck the pilot's face. The impact with the buzzard and the wind coming through the broken windscreen caused the pilot to become temporarily blinded. The pilot reported that he felt the helicopter pitch-up, and as he attempted to regain control of the turbine powered helicopter, blood began to hinder his vision. The pilot elected to execute a running landing into a bean field in his flight path. During the descent, the pilot was forced to use both hands and was unable to clear his vision. The pilot lost sight of the ground and the helicopter impacted on the aft portion of the left landing skid, rolled over and came to rest on its left side in a soybean field. The pilot reported having accumulated approximately 1,900-hours in the same make and model, with about 120 hours in the preceding 90 days.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight collision with a bird and the pilot's physical impairment (vision), directional control was not possible.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/30/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1545 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Washington |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70589 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 303621N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0915931W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1541 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KLFT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 42 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3100 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.82 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19642 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA COMM Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 30 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2006 1:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Baton Rouge, LA, FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1811 |
| NTSB Number | DFW06CA048 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 52300 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4450 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | G.M. Leasing, L.L.C |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1318 Smede Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Broussard |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70518 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Southern Helicopters, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1127 River Road |
| Operator City | Sunshine |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 70780 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 21LA |
| Departure City | Sunshine |
| Departure State | LA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1610 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OCH |
| Destination City | Nacogdoches |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 15 2006 11:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |