NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN24LA129
Registry · N853MB
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AMERICAN EUROCOPTER CORP AS350B3
Year of manufacture
2012 · 12 years old at event
TCDS
H9EU · AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
Engine
TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2D (802 hp)
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20120310
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ABB392
Registrant of record
MED-TRANS CORP
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
An inflight collision with birds while on approach.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during approach to a hospital helipad, two red-tailed hawks flew into the path of the helicopter and his evasive actions were unsuccessful in avoiding the birds. The birds struck the windscreen and fragments of the windscreen impacted the rotor blades. The pilot made an uneventful landing in a nearby open field. The rotor blades were substantially damaged. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Effect on equipment
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Ability to respond/compensate
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2024_CEN24LA129.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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