Thursday, December 3, 2009

Full Size Photos from the Show Low Bird Strike Now Available

Last month's bird strike involving an Ameriflight Beech C-99 aircraft (N330AV) near Show Low, AZ was a fairly dramatic one involving a windshield penetration, copious amounts of blood and guts (the bird's) in the cockpit, and an injured pilot who brought the plane in for a safe landing.

One of the employees of the city of Show Low took a number of photographs of the event, some of which you may have seen in either a previous article on this site or in another web site or news program. Below, you will find eight of those photos, and if you click on any of them, you will see the full sized original.

Since these photos are in the public domain, you are free to use them without cost and without asking permission. It would be appropriate to give any photo credits to the city of Show Low, AZ.

NTSB Preliminary Report
NTSB Identification: WPR10IA045
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Incident occurred Wednesday, November 04, 2009 in Show Low, AZ
Aircraft: BEECH C-99, registration: N330AV
Injuries: 1 Minor.

On November 4, 2009, about 0750 mountain standard time (MST), a Beech C-99, N330AV, encountered a bird strike while on approach to Show Low Regional Airport (SOW), Show Low, Arizona. Ameriflight, LLC, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained damage to the left front pilot windshield.

The cross-country cargo flight departed Phoenix, Arizona, about 0715. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported that shortly after beginning the descent at an altitude of 11,000 feet mean sea level (msl), approximately 20 miles west of Show Low, a bird impacted the upper part of the captain’s windshield, breaking a football size hole in it. A considerable amount of blood, tissue matter, and windshield fragments came into the cockpit.

The captain suffered facial lacerations, bruising, and some lacerations on his chest.

The pilot continued his approach to SOW in spite of the fact the windscreen was nearly opaque. The pilot made radio calls in the blind using the standby hand microphone. He was unable to hear any transmissions due to the wind noise in the cockpit.

The photos from the event can also be found at the following locations:
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image1.jpg
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image2.jpg
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image3.jpg
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image4.jpg
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image5.jpg
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image6.jpg
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image7.jpg
http://www.airsafe.com/birds/Image8.jpg

Click to Enlarge