My mind was racing. I can still remember the sick feeling in my stomach as I arrived at the scene of our downed H130.I had just received word that one of our aircraft carrying our pilot and seven passengers had experienced a catastrophic bird strike. The initial report was that the aircraft was inoperable and that emergency medical crews were en route. I had no idea what to expect. As I approached the aircraft, I stopped short. My heart sank as I noticed blood streaked across the broken windshield and spattered throughout the interior. I was amazed that a bird strike could cause such catastrophic damage. A helicopter air ambulance (HAA) crew had just arrived, quickly ushering a passenger onto their aircraft for medevac. This was the moment that permanently changed the way I viewed bird strikes and convinced me that something had to change.
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