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WPR19CA052

2018-12-28 · Hayward, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KHWD

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

An in-flight collision with a bird during low-altitude maneuvering, which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings at the airport. The student took off from spot C (taxiway Z), flying a right traffic pattern with the intent to land on taxiway A. As the helicopter was making a right crosswind turn over a golf course at an altitude of about 300 ft above ground level, a large bird flew out of the trees and struck the tail rotor. The flight instructor took over control as the helicopter began to yaw and he subsequently initiated an auto rotation to the golf course. As a result of a hard landing, the tailboom and fuselage were substantially damaged. The flight instructor reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Bird remains were found on the golf course and were identified as a Turkey Vulture. The average weight of the species is 4 pounds. The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings at the airport. The student took off from taxiway Z and flew a right traffic pattern with the intent to land on taxiway A. As the helicopter was making a right crosswind turn over a golf course at 300 ft above ground level, a large bird flew out of the trees and struck the tail rotor. The flight instructor took over control of the helicopter as it began to yaw, and he subsequently initiated an autorotation to the golf course, and the helicopter landed hard. The tailboom and fuselage were substantially damaged. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Bird remains identified as a turkey vulture were found on the golf course. The average weight of the species is 4 lbs. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Effect on operation - C
  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Ability to respond/compensate - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_WPR19CA052.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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