A Fort Myers, Fla., pilot landed his Piper Saratoga safely last week at Page Field after a bird strike shattered the pilot’s side windshield. The impact was caught by the cameraRob Weber set up behind him in the cockpit. Fortunately the windshield was just strong enough that the bird bounced off as the plastic shattered. Weber was hit by windshield plastic and some glareshield components and suffered a minor cut but he kept his composure and flew the airplane.
With the slipstream howling through the hole in the windshield, Weber declared an emergency and set up for a straight-in approach, which seemed to go normally. Fire trucks were standing by but Weber declined any help and taxied to the hangar area. He told WINK News he hopes to get the windshield replaced quickly so he can get back flying.
