Chopper Survives – Duck Doesn't
A VANDERBILT (Tennessee) MEDICAL CENTER LIFEFLIGHT air ambulance had its own version of a "close call" Friday night when its flight path crossed that of a Mallard duck's. The Paris (Tennessee) Post-Intelligencer reports:
According to Jerry Jones, public affairs manager with Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s LifeFlight service, the helicopter had just flown over the Tennessee River at about 6:15 p.m. on its way from Nashville to Henry County Medical Center to pick up a patient when the aircraft struck a lone duck in flight.
Jones said the impact shattered the entire front windshield of the helicopter, forcing pilot Tom Adams to make a quick descent from an altitude of 2,000 feet to land in a field beside Poplar Grove Road in Springville.
Post-Intelligencer / Howard photo
According to Jones, Adams landed the aircraft safely, and neither Adams nor his two crew members suffered any injuries. The duck, however, did not survive the incident.
"Bird strikes are not uncommon in this part of the country," Jones said. "It’s LifeFlight policy to make an emergency landing whenever a bird strike occurs. Considering that the whole front wieldshield was gone, it was definitely necessary in this case."
This aircraft is the newest of LifeFlight's 6-helicopter fleet, only two weeks old. It is worth $3 million and was trucked to Clarksville where it is being repaired. The damage estimate is about $100,000.
Another helicopter transferred the patient from Henry to Vanderbilt.
The Post-Intelligencer has the STORY.
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