Collision with bird grounds Mercy Flight
A Mercy Flight helicopter made an emergency landing Thursday afternoon in a Lancaster field after it collided with a bird en route to an accident scene in Wyoming County, according to Greg Gill, a spokesman for Mercy Flight.
The incident occurred about three minutes into the flight, at 12:35 p. m., as the helicopter was headed to an ATV accident, when a bird struck the aircraft. The helicopter was at an altitude of 1,200 feet and traveling about 120 knots, according to Gill.
“The pilot elected to make a precautionary landing,” Gill said.
He landed in a field near Lancaster High School. Mechanics dispatched to the scene discovered damage to the cover of the engine and its rotors. The helicopter was taken by flatbed truck to its hangar for repair.
Gill said the crew returned to service less than an hour later in a backup helicopter.
