Narrative:

I was just south of pottstown VOR, and had just been handed off from philadelphia to reading approach. I saw 3 or 4 large dark bird shapes pass just over the windshield. Simultaneously, I heard a whump! And felt an impact to the plane. I pushed the button and said, 'just had a bird strike! Nearest airport please.' the controller said that there were 2 airports, and a lot of other stuff that I didn't hear -- I was too busy hyperventilating, pumping adrenaline, and being scared. I noticed that the controls were unbalanced, and that my airspeed was 105 mph down from 125. 'Say the airport information again,' I asked. This time I heard, '2 airports ... 8 mi ... 16 mi.' but that's all -- my cognitive bandwidth was severely constricted. 'I want the 8 mi one, what direction is it again?' she told me, I turned east towards it and saw the beacon. 'Sorry, my cage is a bit rattled,' I said. I realized that, other than the control imbal, the airplane was behaving well. I was maintaining altitude, and I could move the ailerons and rudder with predictable effect. I realized that the airport that they had sent me to (potstown-limerick, N46) was dark, except for the beacon. 'How long is that runway?' 'is there a controled airport nearby?' 'yes,' said approach, 'reading airport, 330 and 16 mi.' I turned through north, and all the way to about 290 degrees and then I saw it and turned back on course. 'I have the reils and the beacon,' I said. 'We have all the lights turned up for you,' she said. 'If I haven't said it yet, I'd like to declare an emergency,' I said. 'I don't think I'll need the equipment,' I said, 'negative fuel tank involvement negative engine involvement.' 'roger, they're just standing by,' replied approach. 'I've determined that I've got a goose hanging from my right wing,' I said. They cleared me to land about 8 mi out, and they asked the only other airplane that they had to remain west of the field until I landed. They asked me to stop on the runway. The goose dangled from the right wing. One of the fire trucks led me down the taxiway to the base of the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS CONFLICT WITH A GOOSE. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS JUST S OF POTTSTOWN VOR, AND HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF FROM PHILADELPHIA TO READING APCH. I SAW 3 OR 4 LARGE DARK BIRD SHAPES PASS JUST OVER THE WINDSHIELD. SIMULTANEOUSLY, I HEARD A WHUMP! AND FELT AN IMPACT TO THE PLANE. I PUSHED THE BUTTON AND SAID, 'JUST HAD A BIRD STRIKE! NEAREST ARPT PLEASE.' THE CTLR SAID THAT THERE WERE 2 ARPTS, AND A LOT OF OTHER STUFF THAT I DIDN'T HEAR -- I WAS TOO BUSY HYPERVENTILATING, PUMPING ADRENALINE, AND BEING SCARED. I NOTICED THAT THE CTLS WERE UNBALANCED, AND THAT MY AIRSPD WAS 105 MPH DOWN FROM 125. 'SAY THE ARPT INFO AGAIN,' I ASKED. THIS TIME I HEARD, '2 ARPTS ... 8 MI ... 16 MI.' BUT THAT'S ALL -- MY COGNITIVE BANDWIDTH WAS SEVERELY CONSTRICTED. 'I WANT THE 8 MI ONE, WHAT DIRECTION IS IT AGAIN?' SHE TOLD ME, I TURNED E TOWARDS IT AND SAW THE BEACON. 'SORRY, MY CAGE IS A BIT RATTLED,' I SAID. I REALIZED THAT, OTHER THAN THE CTL IMBAL, THE AIRPLANE WAS BEHAVING WELL. I WAS MAINTAINING ALT, AND I COULD MOVE THE AILERONS AND RUDDER WITH PREDICTABLE EFFECT. I REALIZED THAT THE ARPT THAT THEY HAD SENT ME TO (POTSTOWN-LIMERICK, N46) WAS DARK, EXCEPT FOR THE BEACON. 'HOW LONG IS THAT RWY?' 'IS THERE A CTLED ARPT NEARBY?' 'YES,' SAID APCH, 'READING ARPT, 330 AND 16 MI.' I TURNED THROUGH N, AND ALL THE WAY TO ABOUT 290 DEGS AND THEN I SAW IT AND TURNED BACK ON COURSE. 'I HAVE THE REILS AND THE BEACON,' I SAID. 'WE HAVE ALL THE LIGHTS TURNED UP FOR YOU,' SHE SAID. 'IF I HAVEN'T SAID IT YET, I'D LIKE TO DECLARE AN EMER,' I SAID. 'I DON'T THINK I'LL NEED THE EQUIP,' I SAID, 'NEGATIVE FUEL TANK INVOLVEMENT NEGATIVE ENG INVOLVEMENT.' 'ROGER, THEY'RE JUST STANDING BY,' REPLIED APCH. 'I'VE DETERMINED THAT I'VE GOT A GOOSE HANGING FROM MY R WING,' I SAID. THEY CLRED ME TO LAND ABOUT 8 MI OUT, AND THEY ASKED THE ONLY OTHER AIRPLANE THAT THEY HAD TO REMAIN W OF THE FIELD UNTIL I LANDED. THEY ASKED ME TO STOP ON THE RWY. THE GOOSE DANGLED FROM THE R WING. ONE OF THE FIRE TRUCKS LED ME DOWN THE TAXIWAY TO THE BASE OF THE TWR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.