What happened
On 6 February 2005, an S-61 helicopter, registration EI-CXS, was conducting a search and rescue mission approximately 120 nautical miles west of Shannon Airport. The aircraft, operated by CHC (Ireland) Ltd on behalf of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, was searching for a missing crew member from a trawler. The flight crew consisted of two pilots and two crewmen.
As the mission concluded, the helicopter was returning to Shannon at an altitude of 300 feet and a speed of 110 knots. During this phase of flight, the pilot observed a large black and white bird directly in the aircraft's path. Although the pilot executed an evasive rolling maneuver to the right, the bird struck the clear Perspex roof panel located above the co-pilot's position. The impact resulted in two holes being created in the forward panel.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the impact and the visibility of the aircraft. The crew noted that the search area contained numerous other trawlers, which had naturally attracted a high density of seabirds to the vicinity. The pilot reported that despite the use of multiple lighting configurations—including the red anti-collision light, high-intensity white strobe lights on the sponsons, and the forward-facing white landing light—the bird strike still occurred.
Findings
- The aircraft was engaged in a search and rescue operation involving a missing person.
- The presence of multiple fishing vessels in the area had concentrated a large number of seabirds in the flight path.
- The bird strike occurred despite the activation of all available aircraft lighting.
- The pilot's decision to perform an evasive roll to the right likely mitigated the severity of the impact, preventing a potential head-on collision.