Narrative:

In sum: reporter stated that he was the crew captain and sitting in the jump seat of a B747-400 with a double crew on an international flight and taking off from dtw when an unusual noise was heard from an engine during rotation and up to approximately 800 ft. He also noticed a slight vibration in the aircraft cockpit pedestal. He did not observe any problems on the primary or secondary EICAS displays. However, when he turned the secondary EICAS display to the blank position, from the engine perimeter mode he observed that the #3 engine had a vibration problem. The flight crew then decided to return and land. This was accomplished after approximately 27000 pounds of fuel was dumped. He believes that his company policy of having the secondary EICAS on the engine mode rather than the blank mode delays the flight crew recognition of the exact problem. He believes that all other airline operators of this aircraft, in addition to the manufacturer, always set the secondary EICAS to blank even though the primary EICAS does have a compressed display strip come up by the engine display which is very hard to see. He further stated that examination of the engine revealed that 10 of the fan blades were damaged in the #3 engine. An experienced engine technician commented that it had to be a larger bird than a seagull, like a canadian goose, to amount to that much damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B747-400 WITH A DOUBLE CREW FOR INTL FLT, DUMPED FUEL AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER A BIRD WAS INGESTED IN THE #3 ENG. POSTFLT ENG INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO 10 BLADES OF THE TURBINE FAN ONLY.

Narrative: IN SUM: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS THE CREW CAPT AND SITTING IN THE JUMP SEAT OF A B747-400 WITH A DOUBLE CREW ON AN INTL FLT AND TAKING OFF FROM DTW WHEN AN UNUSUAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM AN ENG DURING ROTATION AND UP TO APPROX 800 FT. HE ALSO NOTICED A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE ACFT COCKPIT PEDESTAL. HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY PROBS ON THE PRIMARY OR SECONDARY EICAS DISPLAYS. HOWEVER, WHEN HE TURNED THE SECONDARY EICAS DISPLAY TO THE BLANK POS, FROM THE ENG PERIMETER MODE HE OBSERVED THAT THE #3 ENG HAD A VIBRATION PROB. THE FLC THEN DECIDED TO RETURN AND LAND. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED AFTER APPROX 27000 LBS OF FUEL WAS DUMPED. HE BELIEVES THAT HIS COMPANY POLICY OF HAVING THE SECONDARY EICAS ON THE ENG MODE RATHER THAN THE BLANK MODE DELAYS THE FLC RECOGNITION OF THE EXACT PROB. HE BELIEVES THAT ALL OTHER AIRLINE OPERATORS OF THIS ACFT, IN ADDITION TO THE MANUFACTURER, ALWAYS SET THE SECONDARY EICAS TO BLANK EVEN THOUGH THE PRIMARY EICAS DOES HAVE A COMPRESSED DISPLAY STRIP COME UP BY THE ENG DISPLAY WHICH IS VERY HARD TO SEE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT EXAMINATION OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT 10 OF THE FAN BLADES WERE DAMAGED IN THE #3 ENG. AN EXPERIENCED ENG TECHNICIAN COMMENTED THAT IT HAD TO BE A LARGER BIRD THAN A SEAGULL, LIKE A CANADIAN GOOSE, TO AMOUNT TO THAT MUCH DAMAGE.

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.