Police helicopter forced to land after duck smashes through windshield, MN cops say
A police helicopter was forced to make a landing after a duck came crashing into the cockpit mid-flight, according to Minnesota State Police.
The state police chopper was on its way back from helping local law enforcement in Wabasha County in southeastern Minnesota around 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, when a duck suddenly smashed through the windshield, MSP spokesman Lt. Gordon Shank said in a tweet.
One of the pilots suffered a head injury and the collision left a massive hole in the windshield, exposing the cockpit.
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Despite this, the pilots were able to safely land at the St. Paul Airport, Shank said.
The injured pilot hit by the duck was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
It’s not clear what became of the duck, though a picture shared by Shank shows feathers scattered across the cockpit controls.
The damage done to the helicopter, a Bell 407, is “still being assessed,” Shanks said.
This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 2:08 PM.