Arizona DPS helicopter forced down after being battered by flock of birds
May 9, 2018, 9:28 AM | Updated: 1:58 pm
(Department of Public Safety Photo)
(Department of Public Safety Photo)
PHOENIX — An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter was forced to land last month after flying into a flock of birds, a collision that resulted in a broken cockpit and a mess.
The Ranger 56 helicopter was returning to Western Air Rescue base in Kingman after a missing-child search north of Williams on April 29 when a group of birds veered directly into its path.
One of the birds broke through the aircraft’s lower left-front panel.
The two-man crew described the flight being interrupted by “a series of loud, cannon-like thuds, followed by a sudden rush of air into the cockpit,” according to a DPS news release.
The crew members, pilot John Haverly and paramedic Daniel Townsend, said they were blasted by 100-plus mph wind, debris and bird blood and remains, according to the release.
They landed in an open field near Interstate 40 and emerged uninjured.
“Pilot Haverly’s wit and training are the reason he was able to land the helicopter safely and without further incident,” Lt. Colonel Ken Hunter of the Agency Support Division said in the statement.
The next day, Ranger 56 was restored enough to fly to Phoenix for a thorough inspection and repairs.
Graphic photos released by DPS on Wednesday showed blood splatter and bird remains inside and outside the aircraft.
The crew hadn’t been able to locate the subject of the search, but the 4-year-old girl was later found safe.
