Narrative:

At approximately XA00 we were executing a visual approach into abr. We were slowed to approach speed and configured for landing with the gear down and locked and flaps set to 20 degrees at the time of the encounter. At about 1/2 mi from the end of the runway end at about 400 ft AGL, a flock of snow geese came into our field of vision. I called out 'birds, birds, birds.' the captain's windshield was almost was almost completely covered with blood as was mine. At this time the captain asked me if I could see out my side at all. I stated that I could see poorly as the same as his side. We tried the windshield wipers and discovered that the captain's was missing and that mine was so bent that it was not even touching the windshield. At this time the captain was able to find a spot in the windshield that he could see through. He then stated that we would continue to fly the plane and land at abr, so we continued with a standard approach and landed. On short final, I verified that the gear was still down and locked, the flaps still at 20 degrees, and that the engines were still operating within normal parameters. Once we were safely on the ground, we answered the flight attendant's call and found out that an object had entered through the fuselage and had injured a passenger, at this time we called the station and requested an ambulance. When we parked the aircraft and had shut down the engines the captain went back into the cabin to help with the situation and found that another passenger who was a doctor was helping the injured passenger. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: crew was flying a saab SF340-B+ aircraft. Speed at impact was approximately 130 KTS. The windshield wiper arm on the captain's side was knocked off by the goose impact. It was then struck by the #1 propeller and knocked into the cabin near the propeller arc. A passenger seated in xx was struck by the wiper, and injured. He had first aid administered on the aircraft by an onboard passenger md. He was held in a local hospital for several days and released. The passenger is now recuperating at home in california. Maintenance reported that the aircraft windshields withstood the goose impacts without damage. The only damage was to the windshield wiper blade arms, and the hole in the fuselage where the blade arm penetrated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF34 HIT A FLOCK OF SNOW GEESE ON FINAL AT ABR. A PAX WAS INJURED WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER, WHICH WAS KNOCKED OFF, PENETRATED THE CABIN.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 WE WERE EXECUTING A VISUAL APCH INTO ABR. WE WERE SLOWED TO APCH SPD AND CONFIGURED FOR LNDG WITH THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED AND FLAPS SET TO 20 DEGS AT THE TIME OF THE ENCOUNTER. AT ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY END AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL, A FLOCK OF SNOW GEESE CAME INTO OUR FIELD OF VISION. I CALLED OUT 'BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS.' THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD WAS ALMOST WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY COVERED WITH BLOOD AS WAS MINE. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT ASKED ME IF I COULD SEE OUT MY SIDE AT ALL. I STATED THAT I COULD SEE POORLY AS THE SAME AS HIS SIDE. WE TRIED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CAPT'S WAS MISSING AND THAT MINE WAS SO BENT THAT IT WAS NOT EVEN TOUCHING THE WINDSHIELD. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO FIND A SPOT IN THE WINDSHIELD THAT HE COULD SEE THROUGH. HE THEN STATED THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO FLY THE PLANE AND LAND AT ABR, SO WE CONTINUED WITH A STANDARD APCH AND LANDED. ON SHORT FINAL, I VERIFIED THAT THE GEAR WAS STILL DOWN AND LOCKED, THE FLAPS STILL AT 20 DEGS, AND THAT THE ENGS WERE STILL OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. ONCE WE WERE SAFELY ON THE GND, WE ANSWERED THE FLT ATTENDANT'S CALL AND FOUND OUT THAT AN OBJECT HAD ENTERED THROUGH THE FUSELAGE AND HAD INJURED A PAX, AT THIS TIME WE CALLED THE STATION AND REQUESTED AN AMBULANCE. WHEN WE PARKED THE ACFT AND HAD SHUT DOWN THE ENGS THE CAPT WENT BACK INTO THE CABIN TO HELP WITH THE SIT AND FOUND THAT ANOTHER PAX WHO WAS A DOCTOR WAS HELPING THE INJURED PAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING A SAAB SF340-B+ ACFT. SPD AT IMPACT WAS APPROX 130 KTS. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM ON THE CAPT'S SIDE WAS KNOCKED OFF BY THE GOOSE IMPACT. IT WAS THEN STRUCK BY THE #1 PROP AND KNOCKED INTO THE CABIN NEAR THE PROP ARC. A PAX SEATED IN XX WAS STRUCK BY THE WIPER, AND INJURED. HE HAD FIRST AID ADMINISTERED ON THE ACFT BY AN ONBOARD PAX MD. HE WAS HELD IN A LCL HOSPITAL FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND RELEASED. THE PAX IS NOW RECUPERATING AT HOME IN CALIFORNIA. MAINT RPTED THAT THE ACFT WINDSHIELDS WITHSTOOD THE GOOSE IMPACTS WITHOUT DAMAGE. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE ARMS, AND THE HOLE IN THE FUSELAGE WHERE THE BLADE ARM PENETRATED.

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.