What happened
On March 24, 2021, at approximately 22:01 local time, an Airbus Helicopters BK 117 D-2, registration HB-ZQJ, was conducting a night flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) for a secondary medical mission. The aircraft, operated by Schweizerische Luft-Ambulanz AG, was performing a patient transfer from Yverdon-Les-Bains to the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne. During the flight near Bretigny-sur-Morrens, the helicopter encountered a large bird that struck the right side of the cockpit near the rudder pedal area.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) examined the circumstances surrounding the impact. The investigation focused on the flight path and the physical damage sustained by the aircraft. The investigation established that the strike occurred during a night operation involving a crew of three and one patient.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained heavy damage as a result of the impact.
- The pilot sustained slight injuries during the event.
- The primary cause of the incident was a large bird strike that penetrated the cockpit area.
- There were no injuries to the patient or any third parties, and no damage was reported to ground structures.