Narrative:

I was flying solo. While maneuvering approximately 1500 ft AGL; in a left turn; I experienced a loud explosive sound with my windshield coming apart. Initially I did not know what had happened and declared a mayday while I assessed the integrity of the airplane. 2 different aircraft responded to my mayday and I gave my home phone number and n-number to the first aircraft; stating that I had a windshield failure; and I told the second aircraft that I seemed to have things under control and did not need further assistance. Between the 2 conversations; I determined that I had received a bird strike that penetrated the windshield in front of the right passenger seat (approximately 1/2 of the windshield was missing); damaged the aircraft interior; and may have injured my right arm (after landing I realized that I needed er care where I received 2 stitches in a laceration in my right arm). I was able to control the aircraft; although I was concerned that the part of my windshield that was still attached might fail. Although airports ZZZ1 and ZZZ2 were closer in distance; they were uncontrolled and without fire/rescue services. I decided that the airplane was flyable enough to proceed to ZZZ which was controled and had services. I contacted ZZZ tower near ZZZ3 and declared an emergency. I was given excellent and priority handling by the tower and made an uneventful landing. A buzzard was found in the aft baggage compartment of the aircraft; where it ended up after coming through the windshield in front of the right passenger seat. There was extensive blood and buzzard parts throughout the cabin. I was thankful that I did not have a passenger in the right seat; as I think they would have received very serious injury from the impact of the buzzard and exploding windshield glass.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 SUFFERS LARGE BIRD STRIKE THAT PENETRATES WINDSHIELD WITH CARCASS COMING TO REST IN THE BAGGAGE AREA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING SOLO. WHILE MANEUVERING APPROX 1500 FT AGL; IN A L TURN; I EXPERIENCED A LOUD EXPLOSIVE SOUND WITH MY WINDSHIELD COMING APART. INITIALLY I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND DECLARED A MAYDAY WHILE I ASSESSED THE INTEGRITY OF THE AIRPLANE. 2 DIFFERENT ACFT RESPONDED TO MY MAYDAY AND I GAVE MY HOME PHONE NUMBER AND N-NUMBER TO THE FIRST ACFT; STATING THAT I HAD A WINDSHIELD FAILURE; AND I TOLD THE SECOND ACFT THAT I SEEMED TO HAVE THINGS UNDER CTL AND DID NOT NEED FURTHER ASSISTANCE. BTWN THE 2 CONVERSATIONS; I DETERMINED THAT I HAD RECEIVED A BIRD STRIKE THAT PENETRATED THE WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF THE R PAX SEAT (APPROX 1/2 OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS MISSING); DAMAGED THE ACFT INTERIOR; AND MAY HAVE INJURED MY R ARM (AFTER LNDG I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED ER CARE WHERE I RECEIVED 2 STITCHES IN A LACERATION IN MY R ARM). I WAS ABLE TO CTL THE ACFT; ALTHOUGH I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE PART OF MY WINDSHIELD THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED MIGHT FAIL. ALTHOUGH ARPTS ZZZ1 AND ZZZ2 WERE CLOSER IN DISTANCE; THEY WERE UNCTLED AND WITHOUT FIRE/RESCUE SVCS. I DECIDED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYABLE ENOUGH TO PROCEED TO ZZZ WHICH WAS CTLED AND HAD SVCS. I CONTACTED ZZZ TWR NEAR ZZZ3 AND DECLARED AN EMER. I WAS GIVEN EXCELLENT AND PRIORITY HANDLING BY THE TWR AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. A BUZZARD WAS FOUND IN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT OF THE ACFT; WHERE IT ENDED UP AFTER COMING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF THE R PAX SEAT. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE BLOOD AND BUZZARD PARTS THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. I WAS THANKFUL THAT I DID NOT HAVE A PAX IN THE R SEAT; AS I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED VERY SERIOUS INJURY FROM THE IMPACT OF THE BUZZARD AND EXPLODING WINDSHIELD GLASS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.