<< >> NASA ASRS Report 427173, January 1999

Pilot of an sel small aircraft had bird strike during cruise near ocean shoreline. Left wing was damaged, but did not create any control problems. Reporter returned at once to nearby home base.

Attributes
ACN	427173
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdr
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1650
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	427173
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Beautiful, crisp VFR day. Took friend for VFR local tour, running down the coast, pointing out towns, islands, etc, while maintaining traffic watch. As usual, using a 'weird' altitude to minimize chance of other plane at same altitude (about 1650 ft in this case) when left wing struck a large bird (seagull or goose, I saw it briefly). Wing badly dented, but plane flew well. Got some altitude, did ctlability check, returned to bdr for uneventful no flap landing. Moral of the story? After 30 yrs of light aircraft flying, I finally bent some metal. Birds don't use standard altitudes, either.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SEL SMA HAD BIRD STRIKE DURING CRUISE NEAR OCEAN SHORELINE. L WING WAS DAMAGED, BUT DID NOT CREATE ANY CTL PROBS. RPTR RETURNED AT ONCE TO NEARBY HOME BASE.

Narrative: BEAUTIFUL, CRISP VFR DAY. TOOK FRIEND FOR VFR LCL TOUR, RUNNING DOWN THE COAST, POINTING OUT TOWNS, ISLANDS, ETC, WHILE MAINTAINING TFC WATCH. AS USUAL, USING A 'WEIRD' ALT TO MINIMIZE CHANCE OF OTHER PLANE AT SAME ALT (ABOUT 1650 FT IN THIS CASE) WHEN L WING STRUCK A LARGE BIRD (SEAGULL OR GOOSE, I SAW IT BRIEFLY). WING BADLY DENTED, BUT PLANE FLEW WELL. GOT SOME ALT, DID CTLABILITY CHK, RETURNED TO BDR FOR UNEVENTFUL NO FLAP LNDG. MORAL OF THE STORY? AFTER 30 YRS OF LIGHT ACFT FLYING, I FINALLY BENT SOME METAL. BIRDS DON'T USE STANDARD ALTS, EITHER.

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.