Original Message

It was in January of 2009.  PHI, in their quest to decrease the empty weight of their S-76's and increase their useful load, took out the heavy glass windscreens and replaced them with an acrylic substitute.  Cruising along at 700' agl and 135 knots, a crew ran into a flock of birds.  The windscreen was compromised and at least one bird came into the cockpit and knocked *both* of the fire handles back, which brought the ECL levers back and out of "Fly."  We, who were not there, can only imagine the noise, chaos and confustion that overwhelmed the unfortunate crew who had just six seconds to trouble-shoot and react.  That S-76 did not have a "Low Rotor" horn.  Apparently, the crew did not get the pitch down in time, lost rotor rpm and crashed into the marsh.  Everyone perished.  Very sad accident.