What happened
On 22 July 2020, an Airbus AS350-B3, registered F-HJSC, was performing a private flight near Nîmes-Garons airport. The helicopter was descending through 1,100 ft, approximately 5 NM northeast of the aerodrome, when it struck a bird of prey. The pilot had observed the bird and attempted an instinctive evasive maneuver, but the impact occurred.
The bird, identified as an approximately 800g red kite, penetrated the cockpit canopy. The impact broke the windscreen, causing shards of glass to strike a front-seat passenger, resulting in one injury involving significant bleeding to the scalp. The force of the impact and the subsequent airflow into the cabin caused items inside the cockpit to be displaced.
Following the strike, the bird came to rest on the collective pitch control lever. However, because the pilot had previously set the friction control to a high position for steady flight, the flight controls remained manageable. The pilot monitored the engine parameters, which remained normal, and declared an emergency (squawking 7700). The pilot then proceeded to land at stand P5 at Nîmes-Garons to ensure rapid access to medical and firefighting services.
The investigation
The BEA examined the aircraft, cockpit recordings from a Visio1000 camera, and pilot statements. The investigation confirmed that the canopy was penetrated on the passenger side near the windscreen center post. While the engine fuel shut-off handle was found out of its safety position, the pilot confirmed he had not touched it, and the handle itself had not moved.
The investigation also reviewed the airport operator's wildlife hazard assessment. While the operator had identified no specific bird hazard in that sector, the BEA noted that such assessments are designed to identify high concentrations of wildlife rather than isolated or random encounters.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a bird strike by a red kite.
- The impact was sufficient to penetrate the cockpit canopy, causing physical injury to a passenger via flying debris.
- The pilot's ability to maintain control was aided by the high friction setting on the collective pitch control.
- Standard hazard assessment methods used by airport operators are not effective at predicting the presence of isolated, random birds.