A Chicago news-helicopter pilot was able to land the aircraft safely in a Wisconsin field Wednesday after a bird struck the chopper.
Pilot Mike Sypien was flying the helicopter back to Chicago after having routine maintenance work performed on it in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
At about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, the gull collision happened, shattering the windshield. Mr. Sypien was also struck in the face by the bird.
Because of the angle at which the gull hit the chopper and the speed of the craft, the collision shattered the vehicle’s glass and forced an immediate emergency landing.
With the windshield broken, Mr. Sypien was deftly avoiding power lines, touching the craft down in a field in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
“We know that he was traveling at a good speed en route southbound after leaving the airport, and took the bird strike and was able to [stay] calm and collected, [and] land in a field without having to disrupt any traffic or cause anybody harm,” Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue Chief David Wilkinson told WFLD-TV, the Chicago area Fox affiliate.
Fire officials said on Facebook that Mr. Sypien took some minor abrasions, but both he and his passenger, photographer Paul Buscemi, refused medical transportation.
Kari Nevek, owner of the farm where Mr. Sypien landed, told Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM-TV that “one of my helpers is a paramedic.”
He “went right over to the pilot, and the first thing the pilot said was to check my passenger. He was really, really in control of the situation,” Ms. Nevek said.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been contacted about the bird strike, fire officials said.
Per an FAA database recording bird strikes, there were 85 prior aircraft-avian collisions in Wisconsin thus far in 2023. Wednesday’s strike has not yet been recorded into the database.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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