C182 SUFFERS LARGE BIRD STRIKE THAT PENETRATES WINDSHIELD WITH CARCASS COMING TO REST IN THE BAGGAGE AREA.
Synopsis
C182 SUFFERS LARGE BIRD STRIKE THAT PENETRATES WINDSHIELD WITH CARCASS COMING TO REST IN THE BAGGAGE AREA.
Narrative
I WAS FLYING SOLO. WHILE MANEUVERING APPROX 1500 FT AGL; IN A L TURN; I EXPERIENCED A LOUD EXPLOSIVE SOUND WITH MY WINDSHIELD COMING APART. INITIALLY I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND DECLARED A MAYDAY WHILE I ASSESSED THE INTEGRITY OF THE AIRPLANE. 2 DIFFERENT ACFT RESPONDED TO MY MAYDAY AND I GAVE MY HOME PHONE NUMBER AND N-NUMBER TO THE FIRST ACFT; STATING THAT I HAD A WINDSHIELD FAILURE; AND I TOLD THE SECOND ACFT THAT I SEEMED TO HAVE THINGS UNDER CTL AND DID NOT NEED FURTHER ASSISTANCE. BTWN THE 2 CONVERSATIONS; I DETERMINED THAT I HAD RECEIVED A BIRD STRIKE THAT PENETRATED THE WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF THE R PAX SEAT (APPROX 1/2 OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS MISSING); DAMAGED THE ACFT INTERIOR; AND MAY HAVE INJURED MY R ARM (AFTER LNDG I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED ER CARE WHERE I RECEIVED 2 STITCHES IN A LACERATION IN MY R ARM). I WAS ABLE TO CTL THE ACFT; ALTHOUGH I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE PART OF MY WINDSHIELD THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED MIGHT FAIL. ALTHOUGH ARPTS ZZZ1 AND ZZZ2 WERE CLOSER IN DISTANCE; THEY WERE UNCTLED AND WITHOUT FIRE/RESCUE SVCS. I DECIDED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYABLE ENOUGH TO PROCEED TO ZZZ WHICH WAS CTLED AND HAD SVCS. I CONTACTED ZZZ TWR NEAR ZZZ3 AND DECLARED AN EMER. I WAS GIVEN EXCELLENT AND PRIORITY HANDLING BY THE TWR AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. A BUZZARD WAS FOUND IN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT OF THE ACFT; WHERE IT ENDED UP AFTER COMING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF THE R PAX SEAT. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE BLOOD AND BUZZARD PARTS THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. I WAS THANKFUL THAT I DID NOT HAVE A PAX IN THE R SEAT; AS I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED VERY SERIOUS INJURY FROM THE IMPACT OF THE BUZZARD AND EXPLODING WINDSHIELD GLASS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.