Cessna T210L Bird Strike Incident at La Rochelle Game Lodge, Namibia (ZS-MSA)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 12 September 2006, a Cessna T210L with registration ZS-MSA was involved in an incident during a commercial geographical survey flight in the northern region of Namibia. The aircraft departed from Tsumeb Aerodrome, with the same aerodrome designated as the next intended landing point. The pilot-in-command held a valid Australian commercial pilot's licence and a valid South African validation, with a total flying experience of 2,262.1 hours and 265.0 hours on type. ## Sequence of Events During the flight, the aircraft collided with an eagle. The bird struck the right front section of the engine cowling, was deflected upward, and penetrated the windscreen, striking the pilot in the face. The pilot reported that he did not see the bird before impact and was unable to take avoidance action. Despite the impact, the pilot maintained control of the aircraft and climbed to a safe altitude. He then reduced the aircraft's speed to minimize airflow and noise through the broken windscreen and partially removed the bird's remains from himself. ## Emergency Landing and Aftermath Approximately 20 minutes' flying time from the departure aerodrome, the pilot decided to seek an alternative landing area. He located a runway at La Rochelle Game Lodge, situated approximately 35 nautical miles west of Tsumeb Aerodrome, inspected it, and executed an uneventful landing. Following engine shutdown, the owner of the game lodge attended to the pilot, who had sustained several cuts to his face and body from the shattered plexiglass windscreen. The appropriate authorities were notified of the incident. ## Meteorological and Maintenance Information At the time of the incident, the surface wind was 045° at 10 knots, the temperature was 28°C, and visibility was CAVOK. The last Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) for the aircraft was certified on 6 September 2006 at 5,499.0 airframe hours. An additional 44.6 hours had been flown on the aircraft since that inspection.