A B757 landing at dtw, mi, encounters a bird strike during the approach 300 ft AGL.

Attributes
ACN	390903
Time
Date	199801
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 161 flight time total : 14700 flight time type : 1370
ASRS Report	390903
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Our flight encountered a small flock of ducks that took off from a pond located just off the approach end of runway 21L shortly before we crossed over it. Most ducks veered clear of our approach path, but a few suddenly directed their flight to coincide with ours and collision became unavoidable. The remainder of approach and landing was uneventful. All engine parameters remained normal. After landing maintenance was advised via radio of bird strike and logbook entry made. Cockpit crew was unaware of extent of damage until parked at gate. A postflt examination revealed damage to some high stage fan blades, presumably from bird ingestion, in the right engine. Neither crew member can recall if dtw ATIS advised of birds in the area, however, its such a common inclusion in ATIS remarks that, operationally, it would have made no difference to our approach plans. The fact that it was a small flock and all appeared to be avoiding our flight path until the last seconds precluded us from taking any evasive action. The presence of a pond at the approach end of a runway would seem to encourage these kind of incursions. I am surprised they are allowed to exist that close to such a heavily used runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 LNDG AT DTW, MI, ENCOUNTERS A BIRD STRIKE DURING THE APCH 300 FT AGL.

Narrative: OUR FLT ENCOUNTERED A SMALL FLOCK OF DUCKS THAT TOOK OFF FROM A POND LOCATED JUST OFF THE APCH END OF RWY 21L SHORTLY BEFORE WE CROSSED OVER IT. MOST DUCKS VEERED CLR OF OUR APCH PATH, BUT A FEW SUDDENLY DIRECTED THEIR FLT TO COINCIDE WITH OURS AND COLLISION BECAME UNAVOIDABLE. THE REMAINDER OF APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALL ENG PARAMETERS REMAINED NORMAL. AFTER LNDG MAINT WAS ADVISED VIA RADIO OF BIRD STRIKE AND LOGBOOK ENTRY MADE. COCKPIT CREW WAS UNAWARE OF EXTENT OF DAMAGE UNTIL PARKED AT GATE. A POSTFLT EXAMINATION REVEALED DAMAGE TO SOME HIGH STAGE FAN BLADES, PRESUMABLY FROM BIRD INGESTION, IN THE R ENG. NEITHER CREW MEMBER CAN RECALL IF DTW ATIS ADVISED OF BIRDS IN THE AREA, HOWEVER, ITS SUCH A COMMON INCLUSION IN ATIS REMARKS THAT, OPERATIONALLY, IT WOULD HAVE MADE NO DIFFERENCE TO OUR APCH PLANS. THE FACT THAT IT WAS A SMALL FLOCK AND ALL APPEARED TO BE AVOIDING OUR FLT PATH UNTIL THE LAST SECONDS PRECLUDED US FROM TAKING ANY EVASIVE ACTION. THE PRESENCE OF A POND AT THE APCH END OF A RWY WOULD SEEM TO ENCOURAGE THESE KIND OF INCURSIONS. I AM SURPRISED THEY ARE ALLOWED TO EXIST THAT CLOSE TO SUCH A HEAVILY USED RWY.

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.