What happened
On 7 July 2021, an AW109SP helicopter, registration G-SCAP, was performing a commercial passenger flight when it encountered a bird strike. The incident occurred at approximately 09:00 UTC as the aircraft was climbing through 1,900 ft while maintaining a speed of 150 kt. The impact caused the upper transparency of the cockpit to shatter, allowing bird remains to enter the flight deck. Despite the breach, the pilot and the four passengers on board escaped the event without any injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the cockpit windows and the impact of the bird strike. It was established that the transparencies on the Agusta West/land AW109 series are not engineered to resist bird strikes, and current design certification standards do not mandate such capability for this specific component. The AAIB noted that this event was not an isolated occurrence, as a similar incident involving an AW109SP, registration G-TAAS, had been previously documented.
Findings
- The primary cause of the cockpit breach was a bird strike occurring during the climb phase of the flight.
- The aircraft's upper transparency was not designed to withstand the force of such an impact.
- Current certification requirements for this aircraft type do not necessitate bird strike resistance for the cockpit transparencies.
- Regulatory bodies are currently reviewing these standards, with EASA proposing changes to the certification of Small Rotorcraft to address this vulnerability in new designs, while also considering potential retrospective requirements for existing fleets.