Bird strike. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	301037
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	301037
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	300643
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During climb out from phl, aircraft sustained bird strike at about 2500 ft. I reported strike to phl departure. No damage to aircraft appeared to have been sustained. No unusual noise from radome area, instrument and engine readings were normal, and all aircraft system appeared to operate normally. I briefly considered returning to phl for an aircraft check by maintenance personnel. To return and land, I would have had to maneuver back through areas of several flocks of birds visible from the cockpit. In doing so, I would be needlessly exposing the flight to a possible engine ingestion of birds, whereas I was currently above their altitude and out of harms way. I continued uneventfully to rdu. On landing at rdu, I had maintenance inspect the aircraft. While no damage was evident from the outside, opening the radome revealed a crack requiring radome replacement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIRD STRIKE.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM PHL, ACFT SUSTAINED BIRD STRIKE AT ABOUT 2500 FT. I RPTED STRIKE TO PHL DEP. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED. NO UNUSUAL NOISE FROM RADOME AREA, INST AND ENG READINGS WERE NORMAL, AND ALL ACFT SYS APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. I BRIEFLY CONSIDERED RETURNING TO PHL FOR AN ACFT CHK BY MAINT PERSONNEL. TO RETURN AND LAND, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO MANEUVER BACK THROUGH AREAS OF SEVERAL FLOCKS OF BIRDS VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT. IN DOING SO, I WOULD BE NEEDLESSLY EXPOSING THE FLT TO A POSSIBLE ENG INGESTION OF BIRDS, WHEREAS I WAS CURRENTLY ABOVE THEIR ALT AND OUT OF HARMS WAY. I CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO RDU. ON LNDG AT RDU, I HAD MAINT INSPECT THE ACFT. WHILE NO DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT FROM THE OUTSIDE, OPENING THE RADOME REVEALED A CRACK REQUIRING RADOME REPLACEMENT.

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.