APACHE helicopter gunships get shot at by the Taliban in Afghanistan, but a humble bird forced one to make a "precautionary" landing at Humberside Airport.
It is not uncommon for holiday-makers boarding airliners to spot helicopters at the civilian airport in Kirmington, 15 miles from Hull.
But it is not everyday a £46m Apache – the type flown by Prince Harry and considered the creme of the crack Army Air Corps – is spotted.
The pilot erred on the side of caution after the bird struck the titanium "head" – the part where the four rotor blades slot into – of the aircraft.
Mechanics dispatched from Wattisham Airfield, in Suffolk, spent yesterday cleaning feathers off the aircraft and performing safety checks, before it was given the all-clear to take off and return to base.
An Army spokesman said: "We can confirm an Apache helicopter made a precautionary landing at Humberside airport yesterday following a bird strike.
"Engineers from the unit's home base assessed the aircraft to ensure no damage has been caused."
The Mail understands no damage has been caused to the twin-engined aircraft, which is crewed by a pilot and gunner.
Bird strikes are a relatively rare occurrence and very rarely result in any damage.
The safety of crew and that of the public is always the military's main consideration and engineering advice is sought, as a matter of course, prior to an aircraft being cleared to fly following an incident of this nature.
A former Apache pilot, who cannot be named for security reasons because they high on insurgents' hit lists, told the Mail there are about five bird strikes reported on Army, Navy and RAF aircraft each month.
He said: "I have had two bird strikes – one hit a wing and another hit the rotor.
"From inside the cockpit you tend to hear a little thump. Nothing more.
"In this case, the bird looks to have struck the 'head'. This part of the aircraft is made of titanium, so no damage will have been caused whatsoever.
"There would have been a few feathers struck around the rotors and that's about it. Apache is pretty robust."
In the event of a mid-air emergency, Apache pilots have three options.
"If something pretty serious happens, such as a fire in the cockpit, you will put down immediately, wherever that may be," said the pilot.
"If you have something like a hydraulics failure you'll tend to find somewhere suitable, such as a field, as soon as possible.
"For something like a bird strike, you're trained to land as soon as practicable.
"In this last instance, you're looking for an airfield – somewhere where the aircraft can be recovered easily and where mechanics can work on the aircraft."
Apaches occasionally use Humberside Airport to refuel on their way to exercises in the north of England and Scotland from southern bases.
