wrote:
snip snip
She says operator failure is one possibility, along with
the weather, tall cranes in the area for building the new
bridge, and birds, which could've become tangled in the
chopper's engine. The wreckage is being taken to the NTSB
academy in Ashburn, where investigators will take a closer
look at it.
snip
http://www.wusatv9.com/news/news_art...?storyid=36171


What kind of birds fly at night?

Um, you'd probably be surprised. I do quite a bit of night flying as
a helicopter instructor, and I see them once in a while. If we have
the searchlight on (normal for several minutes at a time on an
instrument approach to an airport, also normal when operating close
to the ground) sometimes I'll see one flash by. I usually mention it
to the student in order to encourage him/her to keep their visor down
and protect their eyes.

I don't know exactly what kind of birds, maybe they're bats. I don't
really care what they are though, I hope if and when I eventually hit
one it doesn't hit at me or my crew!