Accident Details
On April 6, 2010, at 2151 central daylight time, a Beech 95-B55 (registration N70283) suffered substantial damage when it struck multiple mallard ducks during cruise flight at 4,200 feet over Center, North Dakota. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The aircraft was operated by the State of North Dakota Attorney General’s Office as a public-use flight. The instructional flight had departed Bismarck Municipal Airport (KBIS) at 2025 and was en route to Mercer County Regional Airport (KHZE) in Hazen, North Dakota. After the bird strike, the pilot-in-command (PIC) diverted back to the departure airport and executed an uneventful landing.
Crew Actions
The PIC was flying while using a view-limiting device to simulate instrument meteorological conditions. He reported hearing a “loud pop” and feeling a “violent rush of air” as the airplane descended through 4,200 feet. One duck penetrated the right cockpit windshield and struck the face of the flight instructor, who was seated in the right seat and sustained serious injuries. The PIC in the left seat was not injured. The crew decided to return to KBIS instead of continuing to KHZE. The PIC declared an emergency with Bismarck approach control and requested an ambulance to meet the airplane after landing.
Damage
A post-accident inspection revealed substantial structural damage to the right cockpit windshield, right wing leading edge, and nose cone. All observed damage was consistent with a collision with several birds during flight.