Owl flies into helicopter making water drops over Creek Fire

FRESNO, Calif. -- Firefighters doing water drops over the Creek Fire had a surprise visitor enter their helicopter cockpit on Monday.

Dan Alpiner is a pilot with Sky Aviation, an aircraft charter company based in Wyoming that has aircraft and crew members taking on the wildfire burning in Fresno and Madera counties.

While conducting flight over the fire, Dan spotted an owl that had flown through the window of his helicopter and was looking straight at him.

Alpiner told Action News, at first, he was a little concerned the owl may start flying around the cockpit, but it just sat there as he continued making his water drops.

He snapped a photo of the bird, which was shared on Sky Aviation's Facebook page.

A few minutes later, the owl flew out. Alpiner said it was a once in a lifetime experience.

"It's unheard of to have it enter while the (helicopter) is in-flight," he said. "It's an unexplainable and magical miracle for it to stay with you for several water drops, then leave just as it arrived - safe and unannounced."