The co-pilot reported “a flock of buzzards” passed in front of the Beech A36 while en-route, and “the PIC [pilot in command] took evasive action.”
A buzzard collided with the airplane at the top of the windscreen and there was a “loud bomb-like bang/thump” followed by a loud rush of air.
The PIC declared an emergency with air traffic control and landed at the airport in Ft. Myers, Florida, without further incident.
The windscreen was substantially damaged.
Probable cause: An in-flight collision with a flock of birds.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA086
This November 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Those buzzards are a common hazard here in Florida and you have to be careful when flying at lower altitudes. These are big birds and can do considerable damage to an aircraft and potentially kill or seriously harm persons in the aircraft when they bust through windscreens. If this bird was just slightly lower than it was than one, if not both of the persons in the front seats could have easily been killed, maybe even someone in the backseat. It was a few decades back that a Navy T-34 was out doing maneuvers over the Florida Panhandle when they took a buzzard squarely in the wind screen and both the student in front and the instructor in back took a serious hit and got a face full of buzzard. The instructor was blinded (temporarily) by all the blood and gore and not being able to get any response from the student assumed him to be dead and bailed out fearing a crash was soon to follow. The student, initially knocked unconscious, came to and while only barely able to see was still able to get the aircraft under control and land safely. That is just an example of what can happen when an airplane collides with one of these large birds. They like to ride on the thermals that create the many puffy clouds that you see on a typical Florida day so it is better to stay above when conditions allow.