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CBS News
17-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
"It just exploded," Pilot recounts bird strike that shattered plane window before emergency landing at Van Nuys Airport
The pilot who was manning a small plane that made an emergency landing at Van Nuys Airport on Saturday evening is recounting the terrifying moments that their windshield shattered during a bird strike. Captain Gema Goeyardi says that they were returning back to Southern California after a day trip to Las Vegas. They were flying in a Barron B55 twin-engine aircraft through the Newhall Pass at around 8:30 p.m. when it happened. "I was so shocked for about four seconds. I just thought, 'What has happened here?' and I look at my friend's face, it's like a horror movie," he said. "All blood covering his face, we are all shaking because it's very cold. My friend hand cannot stop shaking." He says that the bird slammed into their windshield, causing to shatter midair. "Suddenly, it just exploded," Goeyardi said. "I don't understand what happened. i thought probably some engine part threw up the windshield and then it's cracked." He also says that it's a miracle they survived the landing. "I tried to declare mayday, I called, 'Mayday, mayday.' But, I cannot hear anything because the noise is so loud," Goeyardi recalled. Somehow, with the wind rushing in his face and no windshield to protect him, he was able to safely land the plane at around 8:45 p.m. "I realized I didn't feel anything, maybe God put an invisible wall over me that I could see everything clearly like a normal landing," he said. "But I was terrified." He says he was completely unaware that it was a bird that caused the emergency until they were safely on the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration says that bird strikes and other wildlife related strikes, including birds and deer, have seen a spike in frequency in recent years. In 2023, there were more than 19,000 wildlife strikes reported at 713 airports across the states. Despite what happened, Goeyardi is ready to get back into the air as soon as possible. "I believe I have to go up again, at the same Newhall Pass with a small airplane at night, because I need to beat my fear and not drown into my trauma," he said. He plans on returning within the next two days.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Plane hits bird, makes emergency landing in Van Nuys
LOS ANGELES - A plane with three people aboard was forced to make an emergency landing Saturday at Van Nuys Airport after striking a bird. What we know A Barron B55 twin-engine aircraft struck the bird while flying through the Newhall Pass around 9 p.m. The plane suffered significant damage. The impact shattered the windshield, leaving the co-pilot injured. The co-pilot was treated for a head wound and transported to the hospital. The plane was returning from a day trip to Las Vegas when the bird strike happened. The pilot described it as a teaching experience. What they're saying "I call 'mayday.' I landed everything smooth. When I started, I cannot hear them. So my partner got all blood… and maybe just scratch in the chin. But after we landed, we just realized that it was a bird, and then it stuck on the ceiling there. So pretty big bird, I believe. Yeah. It's so dangerous at night and we cannot see anything," said co-pilot Gma Goeyardi. The Source Information for this story is from an interview at the scene with co-pilot Gma Goeyardi on March 15, 2025.
