"It just exploded," Pilot recounts bird strike that shattered plane window before emergency landing at Van Nuys Airport

The pilot who was manning a small plane that made an emergency landing at Van Nuys Airport on Saturday evening is recounting the terrifying moments that their windshield shattered during a bird strike. 

Captain Gema Goeyardi says that they were returning back to Southern California after a day trip to Las Vegas. They were flying in a Barron B55 twin-engine aircraft through the Newhall Pass at around 8:30 p.m. when it happened. 

"I was so shocked for about four seconds. I just thought, 'What has happened here?' and I look at my friend's face, it's like a horror movie," he said. "All blood covering his face, we are all shaking because it's very cold. My friend hand cannot stop shaking."

He says that the bird slammed into their windshield, causing to shatter midair.

"Suddenly, it just exploded,"  Goeyardi said. "I don't understand what happened. i thought probably some engine part threw up the windshield and then it's cracked."

He also says that it's a miracle they survived the landing. 

"I tried to declare mayday, I called, 'Mayday, mayday.' But, I cannot hear anything because the noise is so loud," Goeyardi recalled. 

Somehow, with the wind rushing in his face and no windshield to protect him, he was able to safely land the plane at around 8:45 p.m. 

"I realized I didn't feel anything, maybe God put an invisible wall over me that I could see everything clearly like a normal landing," he said. "But I was terrified."

He says he was completely unaware that it was a bird that caused the emergency until they were safely on the ground. 

The Federal Aviation Administration says that bird strikes and other wildlife related strikes, including birds and deer, have seen a spike in frequency in recent years. 

In 2023, there were more than 19,000 wildlife strikes reported at 713 airports across the states. 

Despite what happened, Goeyardi is ready to get back into the air as soon as possible. 

"I believe I have to go up again, at the same Newhall Pass with a small airplane at night, because I need to beat my fear and not drown into my trauma," he said. 

He plans on returning within the next two days. 

The co-pilot, who suffered serious injuries to his face in the incident, is expected to be okay, Goeyardi said.