What happened
On 11 June 2005, a MBB-BO 105-S helicopter, registration ZS-RAW, was conducting a domestic commercial flight near Rand Aerodrome. The crew had initially departed from Rand Aerodrome to respond to a call-out in Midrand but subsequently received a new tasking for the Silver Lakes area near the airfield.
While the aircraft was cruising at approximately 300 feet above ground level over Alexandra, traveling at an indicated airspeed of 120 knots, the pilot identified a flock of birds directly in the flight path. Despite the observation, the pilot was unable to maneuver the aircraft away from the hazard. The resulting bird strike caused one bird to penetrate the lower right-hand side of the Perspex windshield. Following the impact, the crew completed the flight and landed safely at Rand Aerodrome without further incident or injury to the two occupants.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the pilot's credentials and the aircraft's maintenance history. The pilot held a valid commercial license with the appropriate type rating and a medical certificate that was current at the time of the event. The aircraft, which had a total of 1549.5 airframe hours, had undergone its last major periodic inspection (MPI) in April 2005.
Records indicated that the maintenance organization had been audited recently, with no significant issues identified. The investigation also noted that the aircraft had been involved in a separate incident in May 2002 involving rotor blade contact with an object, but no mechanical failures were linked to the bird strike event.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the pilot's inability to avoid a flock of birds.
- The impact resulted in localized damage to the lower right-hand front windshield.