Officials at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock have confirmed that the helicopter made an emergency landing in an intersection near Widener. The pilot only suffered minor injuries. The other two crew members on board escaped without any injury. No patients were on board when the incident happened.

Federal aviation officials are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

 

The strange incident came two days after a US Airways jetliner was forced to land in New York’s Hudson River after being struck by a flock of birds. According to media reports, the cockpit voice recorder captured the sounds of loud “thumps” and both of the plan’s engines failed. The pilot managed to land the Airbus A320 in the Hudson, where all those aboard were rescued.

 

These types of incidents are rare in aviation but they can cause significant damage and jeopardize the lives of those onboard.

Last year, a Ryanair jet carrying 166 passengers made an emergency landing at Rome Ciampino airport after birds were sucked into its engines. According to reports, flight FR4102 from Frankfurt to Ciampino had suffered “multiple bird strikes” as it approached the airport. The airport had been closed to all flights for several hours.