Created: 11/9/2009 2:31:40 PM 
Caswell County, NC -- A medical helicopter for Duke University Medical Center was removed from a Caswell County family's yard Monday afternoon.
The helicopter was transporting a patient from Danville, VA around 2:45 pm Sunday when it was hit by a buzzard.
The bird strike damaged the tail of the aircraft, forcing the pilot to land in Joyce Mitchell's yard. She learned of the emergency landing while she was at church.
"When I got here I was very surprised to see this in the yard, but thank God he was able to have space here to land and he did a good job," Mitchell said.
Mae Long, who lives next door to Mitchell, was in her kitchen when the helicopter landed. She said, "I didn't know what to think until my neighbor said, 'that's a helicopter, anybody around here sick?' I said, 'I don't think so.'"
An ambulance drove the patient to meet a UNC Air Care helicopter, which transported him to Duke University Medical Center.
Nobody was injured by the bird strike and the chopper will be taken to Alabama for repairs.
WFMY News 2
