EDITOR’S CHOICE SAFETY
By Caterina Hessler Birds are a severe danger for
pilots. Especially when flying at low altitudes with high speed – a profile that is typical for helicopter flights.. What can be done to prevent strikes and to save lives and costs? On the 30th of December 2005, a
pilot was flying a Bell 206 near Washington, LA at approximately 500ft. While doing a quick scan of his instruments, a large vulture crashed into his cockpit. The bird shattered the windscreen and came to a halt inside the cabin. The pilot was instantly blinded by blood spraying into his eyes. After partly regaining his vision and control over the heli- copter, he tried to land in a nearby field. Since he was barely able to see the ground and read the instruments, he crashed the helicopter. The pilot was taken to a hospital and had to undergo several surgeries to repair the severe damage to his face, his teeth and his eyes. The B206 was completely destroyed. As this case demonstrates, colli-
sions with birds can be quite danger- ous. The main problem is that pilots have only a few seconds to discover the birds and react. There are no guar- antees, but there are a few simple rules to help avoid the danger of a bird strike. Although fewer bird strikes occur
during take off and landing, one should consider the surroundings of the helipad or heliport. It should be as unattractive as possible for birds. This means there should be no bushes with fruit or berries, no possibilities for nesting, no ponds or ditches and the grass should be mowed short.
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