Primary finding
Probable cause
An inflight collision with birds while on approach.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that during approach to a hospital helipad, two red-tailed hawks flew into the path of the helicopter and his evasive actions were unsuccessful in avoiding the birds. The birds struck the windscreen and fragments of the windscreen impacted the rotor blades. The pilot made an uneventful landing in a nearby open field. The rotor blades were substantially damaged.