The crew of a medical helicopter has quite the story to tell after taking on some unexpected passengers Monday evening. Avera McKennan's Careflight left Sioux Falls heading for Chamberlain, but hit two ducks just 15 minutes into the flight. The staff onboard stayed calm, and they're ready to fly again.

The emergency landing happened in a field near Canistota, and while the helicopter was damaged, the crew walked away unharmed.

"No, I don't have a license, but we got two the other night," Terry Willis said after being asked if he is a duck hunter said. 

They can joke about it now, but it was no laughing matter when damage was done to Careflight. The helicopter was 1,200 feet in the air traveling 155 miles an hour, when two ducks crashed through the windshield.

"Cruising along and all the sudden there's a loud thud, followed by a pretty good rush of fresh, cool air, and an immediate painful sensation in my left knee," Willis said.

That's because a duck had hit flight paramedic Terry Willis in the leg, and a second duck struck him in the shoulder. That's when pilot Craig Hilzendager used his 13 years of experience and some new night vision goggles to bring the helicopter down safely.

"That part of the county is really wet. A lot of standing water, the crops are still in, so trying to find an area to land in was difficult, but with the goggles, made it a lot less stressful," Hilzendager said.

"Craig's been doing it a long time, kept his calm and we go on the ground. So after the impact, it went well," Willis said.

Wednesday, the helipad sits empty, but it won't be that way for long. A temporary replacement has already been called in and should be in service within a few days.

Meanwhile, mechanics are working to get Careflight back up and running. The helicopter was brand new in May, and they're still not sure how much it’s going to cost to fix the damage. But for those who climb aboard for their profession, there'll be no second thought next time they're needed.

"It is just part of the business. We do have to share the airspace with different waterfowl, especially with the fly way through South Dakota here," Hilzendager said.

"The unfortunate side of it is the helicopter got busted up pretty good, but I feel blessed that everybody is okay and nobody was seriously injured, other than the duck and the helicopter," Willis said.

The patient in Chamberlain that the crew was going to pick up was brought to Sioux Falls by another medical crew. The night vision goggles credited by the crew are brand new; they just finished training to use them three weeks ago.