Narrative:

Right after liftoff on runway 28, I encountered a large flock of sea gulls. I heard one strike the aircraft and continued the takeoff, monitoring the engine instruments closely. I had the first officer tell the tower about the large flock of birds. After switching to departure control, we climbed expeditiously through his airspace, was handed off to ZDC and cleared to FL250. Only then was climb power reduced, at which time the #2 engine vibration indicator went from less than 1 to 3-4. I elected to stay at FL250 and called company maintenance control. We agreed I should divert, so I landed at gso west/O further incident. Post-flight inspection revealed numerous bird strikes, including several #2 engine first stage fan blades damaged and a large dent in the #2 engine cowl. This incident could have had disastrous consequences.the birds must have flown just at rotation, and only by rotating higher than normal was I able to miss the majority of them (I thought I had hit only 1). A pilot who had just landed reported the flock of birds as I was in the takeoff roll, but either he didn't specify their exact location or I didn't hear it. More timely and specific information might have led to different actions on my part.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG BIRD STRIKE ON TKOF FROM BWI. NOT INDICATED ENGINE PROBLEM UNTIL POWER REDUCED TO CLIMB, THEN ENGINE VIBRATION CAUSED FLT CREW TO CALL COMPANY MAINTENANCE AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIVERT TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: RIGHT AFTER LIFTOFF ON RWY 28, I ENCOUNTERED A LARGE FLOCK OF SEA GULLS. I HEARD ONE STRIKE THE ACFT AND CONTINUED THE TKOF, MONITORING THE ENG INSTRUMENTS CLOSELY. I HAD THE F/O TELL THE TWR ABOUT THE LARGE FLOCK OF BIRDS. AFTER SWITCHING TO DEP CTL, WE CLBED EXPEDITIOUSLY THROUGH HIS AIRSPACE, WAS HANDED OFF TO ZDC AND CLRED TO FL250. ONLY THEN WAS CLB PWR REDUCED, AT WHICH TIME THE #2 ENG VIBRATION INDICATOR WENT FROM LESS THAN 1 TO 3-4. I ELECTED TO STAY AT FL250 AND CALLED COMPANY MAINT CTL. WE AGREED I SHOULD DIVERT, SO I LANDED AT GSO W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED NUMEROUS BIRD STRIKES, INCLUDING SEVERAL #2 ENG FIRST STAGE FAN BLADES DAMAGED AND A LARGE DENT IN THE #2 ENG COWL. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE HAD DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES.THE BIRDS MUST HAVE FLOWN JUST AT ROTATION, AND ONLY BY ROTATING HIGHER THAN NORMAL WAS I ABLE TO MISS THE MAJORITY OF THEM (I THOUGHT I HAD HIT ONLY 1). A PLT WHO HAD JUST LANDED RPTED THE FLOCK OF BIRDS AS I WAS IN THE TKOF ROLL, BUT EITHER HE DIDN'T SPECIFY THEIR EXACT LOCATION OR I DIDN'T HEAR IT. MORE TIMELY AND SPECIFIC INFO MIGHT HAVE LED TO DIFFERENT ACTIONS ON MY PART.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.