South Dakota: Sanford helicopter makes safe landing after colliding with a duck

A duck forced a Sanford medical helicopter flying a patient Thursday from Mitchell to Sioux Falls to make an emergency landing just south of Humboldt.

The helicopter landed around 6 p.m. on a gravel road about four miles south of Humboldt, said Mike Christianson, the executive director of Air Transport at Sanford. Inside the helicopter at the time were the pilot, a flight nurse, a flight medic, a respiratory therapist and the patient, Christianson said.

No one was injured in the helicopter, but the duck suffered fatal injuries.

The duck hit the pilot’s side windscreen and protocol is to safely land the helicopter as soon as possible, Christianson said.

A Humboldt ambulance completed the transport, he said.

On-site repairs were done to the helicopter and Sanford obtained a permit from the FAA to fly the helicopter Thursday night back to the hanger on the hospital’s campus, Christianson said. Coming into contact with birds is rare, he said.