Duck Strikes Shands-Gainesville's Chopper
Windshield Shatters; Pilot Lands Safely
POSTED: Saturday, March 7, 2009
UPDATED: 11:43 am EST March 7,
2009
  WCJB-TV Image |
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Four people were aboard an emergency medical helicopter when a duck shattered the windshield and landed in the cockpit.Pilot Don Irving's eye was injured in the collision, but he managed to land safely.Thursday night, the helicopter was returning to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida carrying an unidentified trauma patient, a flight nurse and a flight paramedic. The copter was flying at an altitude of 700 feet and just a few minutes from the hospital, preparing to land on the rooftop helipad, when the bird flew into the windshield.The bird clipped off several switches on the overhead instrument panel before landing on the foot of one of the medical crew. Irving remained calm and landed on the hospital's helipad."The fact the pilot was wearing a helmet was key in maintaining control of the aircraft," David Maurer, ShandsCair Medical Director, told WCJB-TV.
Copyright 2008 by News4Jax.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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