Incident Overview
On 7 September 2015, at 17:25 local time (UTC+2), a Robin DR 400/500 aircraft, registration HB-KEZ, was involved in a bird strike accident near the Fribourg VOR (FRI) at an altitude of approximately 5,200 feet. The operator and owner was the Swiss Confederation. The pilot, a Swiss citizen born in 1970, held a Commercial Pilot License for airplanes (CPL(A)). He had accumulated 1,585 total flight hours, with 200 hours on the accident aircraft type; in the previous 90 days, he had logged 20 hours and 5 minutes total, of which 3 hours were on type. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) as a private operation, departing from Sion Regional Airport (LSGS) and destined for Bern-Belp Regional Airport (LSZB). No passengers were on board. The pilot sustained no injuries; there were no third-party injuries or damage.
Bird Strike and Aftermath
After an uneventful flight, while passing the Fribourg VOR in the direction of Tafers, the aircraft was struck by a bird on the left wing. The impact created a hole in the left wing leading edge. The pilot subsequently contacted the Bern-Belp aerodrome traffic controller and reported the bird strike and the resulting damage. The aircraft remained controllable, but required higher engine power settings to maintain horizontal cruise flight.
Landing
The aerodrome traffic controller offered the pilot a direct approach via a left base leg for runway 32. The fire brigade was alerted by the traffic controller. The landing was completed without further incident. The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing leading edge; no third-party damage occurred.