Agusta A109E incident near Gainesville, Florida, March 6, 2009
On March 6, 2009 at about 1:10 am local time, a Agusta A109E (helicopter), registered N911UF, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (descent) near Gainesville, Florida. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent in-flight collision with a duck.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2009 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Gainesville, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Agusta A109E · all A109Es on the register
- Registration
- N911UF · no longer on the register · serial 11604
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a nighttime helicopter patient transfer, while the helicopter was descending through 800 feet at 145 knots, a duck impacted the windshield. The windshield shattered, and a number of switches and circuit breakers on the pilot’s overhead panel were broken, while others were turned off. The engine throttles were not affected. The pilot maintained control of the helicopter and landed it without further incident. Analysis of windshield fracture surfaces revealed that they were typical of overstress with bending deformations. There was no forward shielding of the overhead panel switches and throttles.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Birdstrike during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,850 hours in all; 170 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 12,500 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 16, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,670 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,600 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 206C (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Methods CORP
The flight
- Departed from: None Trenton FL
- Destination: FL12 Gainesville FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 2 | ||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.