Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4 N490AE accident near Mitchell, Indiana

Probable cause

The inflight collision with a bird while in cruise flight.

NTSB analysis

The air medical flight departed from a hospital and was enroute to the operator’s base of operation. About 30 minutes after departure, while in cruise flight, at an airspeed of about 109 kts and an altitude of about 1,058 ft above ground level, the helicopter encountered a bird strike with a black vulture (Coragyps atratus). A heavy vibration ensued, and the pilot performed an off-airport landing to a field. The helicopter sustained substantial damage, which was a bent pitch change link for the main rotor system, from the bird strike. There was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN24LA017 for the full record.