A helicopter ride too Air Greenland’s passengers from Tasiilaq to Kulusuk took an unexpected turn on Saturday.
Just after the passenger helicopter had taken off from Tasiilaq, the pilot spotted a group of seagulls flying in the direction of the helicopter. The pilot tried to avoid the birds, but a single seagull did not follow the rest of the group.
A helicopter ride too Air Greenland’s passengers from Tasiilaq to Kulusuk took an unexpected turn on Saturday.
Just after the passenger helicopter had taken off from Tasiilaq, the pilot spotted a group of seagulls flying in the direction of the helicopter. The pilot tried to avoid the birds, but a single seagull did not follow the rest of the group.
– It was the one that collided with the helicopter’s rotor wing. It died, of course, says Air Greenland’s director of sustainability and communication, Inga Dóra G. Markussen, to Sermitsiaq.
What happened is called a “bird strike”, i.e. a collision between an aircraft and a bird. Because the seagull hit the rotor of the helicopter, blood got on the helicopter.
– You had to clean it. It goes without saying that there is something to clean afterwards, says Inga Dóra G. Markussen.
Neither the helicopter nor the passengers were hurt in the incident.
The procedure was followed
When an incident like this happens there is a set procedure and it was followed when the seagull hit the rotor of the helicopter.
– When it happened, it was the pilot’s responsibility to have the helicopter checked. There were no vibrations, but when the mechanic was in Tasiilaq, the pilot turned around and the inspection of the helicopter was started, says Inga Dóra G. Markussen.
Fortunately, the inspection showed that the helicopter had not been damaged.
– The helicopter was washed and an inspection was carried out. The robust rotors were not damaged, and therefore it could set off immediately afterwards, she says.
A so-called “bird strike” can happen, but according to Air Greenland it is a rare occurrence.
– It happens, but it rarely happens. I have never heard of it with a helicopter, for example, in Greenland in my time, says Inga Dóra G. Markussen.
She emphasizes that the incident was not dramatic and that neither the helicopter nor the passengers were injured. If it had been a more serious incident, Air Greenland’s safety procedures would have been initiated.
