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| Date: | Tuesday 21 November 2023 |
| Time: | 22:00 LT |
| Type: |  Airbus Helicopters H135 (EC135T3) |
| Owner/operator: | North Memorial Health Care |
| Registration: | N423NM |
| MSN: | 2193 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2022 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 420 hours |
| Engine model: | SAFRAN Arrius 2B2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Dodge Center, MN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Rochester, MN (99MN) |
| Faribault Municipal Airport, MN (FBL/KFBL) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During a dark night flight in visual meteorological conditions, an emergency medical services helicopter collided with a flock of birds about 1,100 ft above ground level. The impact shattered the windscreen and caused what the pilot described as an explosion. Despite the damage, the pilot was able to stabilize the helicopter and head towards the nearest airport, about 7.5 miles away. The helicopter landed without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed substantial damage to the main rotor blades in the pitch control cuff area and the monocoque structure of the fantail.
Probable Cause: An in-flight collision with a flock of birds.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN24LA053
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N423NM
Location
Media:
US Airbus H135 air ambulance night bird strike https://t.co/IArGHzGgqd #helicopter #airambulance #flightsafety #aviationssafety pic.twitter.com/WokK2Q2EkP
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) April 14, 2024
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Dec-2023 18:47 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 06-Dec-2023 07:58 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, ] |
| 14-Apr-2024 07:46 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, ] |
| 14-Apr-2024 07:54 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 14-Apr-2024 07:58 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 28-Apr-2024 09:39 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 28-Apr-2024 09:43 | ASN | Updated [Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
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