Cirrus SR22 pilot has a bird strike; declares emergency and lands.

Attributes
ACN	694662
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	SR22
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 650 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	694662
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : birds
Independent Detector	other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed as precaution other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Shortly after departure on a day VFR flight; the aircraft collided with a large turkey vulture. When the strike occurred we were climbing through approximately 2000 ft and were turning from a heading of 210 degrees to a heading of 230 degrees. The tower controller had just requested that we contact departure. As I was switching frequencys I saw a pair of vultures pass in front of and very close to the airplane. As they passed to the left; one of the vultures hit the outer portion of the left wing. The strike tore open the outer part of the wing and left part of the wingtip panel flapping in the wind. Rather than switching to departure control; I remained on tower frequency; advised that I had struck a bird; had sustained damage to the wing; and was declaring an emergency. I requested an immediate return to the airport. Tower advised that I was cleared for any approach to any runway. As I was at the time just southeast of the field; I made a right turn to a heading of 350 degrees and entered a right downwind. The aircraft appeared to be stable and ctlable; so I advised tower that I could make a normal visual approach. The airplane required fairly heavy control inputs to counter a strong yaw to the left caused by the added drag of the broken wingtip. On short final I noticed that my airspeed indications were all wrong. I surmised that the pitot tube had either been damaged or was being obstructed by broken parts of the wing. Ignoring the airspeed indications; I continued the approach with a power setting that I knew would provide a safe landing speed. We touched down without incident. Airport crash fire rescue equipment personnel visually inspected the airplane for fuel leaks and; finding none; we were cleared to taxi back to parking. With hindsight; the damage to the wing was not as extensive as it had appeared from the air; but the damage was substantial nonetheless. I think I made the right decision to declare an emergency and to return immediately to the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CIRRUS SR22 PLT HAS A BIRD STRIKE; DECLARES EMER AND LANDS.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER DEP ON A DAY VFR FLT; THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A LARGE TURKEY VULTURE. WHEN THE STRIKE OCCURRED WE WERE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 2000 FT AND WERE TURNING FROM A HDG OF 210 DEGS TO A HDG OF 230 DEGS. THE TWR CTLR HAD JUST REQUESTED THAT WE CONTACT DEP. AS I WAS SWITCHING FREQS I SAW A PAIR OF VULTURES PASS IN FRONT OF AND VERY CLOSE TO THE AIRPLANE. AS THEY PASSED TO THE L; ONE OF THE VULTURES HIT THE OUTER PORTION OF THE L WING. THE STRIKE TORE OPEN THE OUTER PART OF THE WING AND LEFT PART OF THE WINGTIP PANEL FLAPPING IN THE WIND. RATHER THAN SWITCHING TO DEP CTL; I REMAINED ON TWR FREQ; ADVISED THAT I HAD STRUCK A BIRD; HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE WING; AND WAS DECLARING AN EMER. I REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO THE ARPT. TWR ADVISED THAT I WAS CLRED FOR ANY APCH TO ANY RWY. AS I WAS AT THE TIME JUST SE OF THE FIELD; I MADE A R TURN TO A HDG OF 350 DEGS AND ENTERED A R DOWNWIND. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE STABLE AND CTLABLE; SO I ADVISED TWR THAT I COULD MAKE A NORMAL VISUAL APCH. THE AIRPLANE REQUIRED FAIRLY HVY CTL INPUTS TO COUNTER A STRONG YAW TO THE L CAUSED BY THE ADDED DRAG OF THE BROKEN WINGTIP. ON SHORT FINAL I NOTICED THAT MY AIRSPD INDICATIONS WERE ALL WRONG. I SURMISED THAT THE PITOT TUBE HAD EITHER BEEN DAMAGED OR WAS BEING OBSTRUCTED BY BROKEN PARTS OF THE WING. IGNORING THE AIRSPD INDICATIONS; I CONTINUED THE APCH WITH A PWR SETTING THAT I KNEW WOULD PROVIDE A SAFE LNDG SPD. WE TOUCHED DOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. ARPT CFR PERSONNEL VISUALLY INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE FOR FUEL LEAKS AND; FINDING NONE; WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI BACK TO PARKING. WITH HINDSIGHT; THE DAMAGE TO THE WING WAS NOT AS EXTENSIVE AS IT HAD APPEARED FROM THE AIR; BUT THE DAMAGE WAS SUBSTANTIAL NONETHELESS. I THINK I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TO DECLARE AN EMER AND TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO THE ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.