Narrative:

Cleared by tower for takeoff runway 35 far. Told to 'caution the birds.' as we taxied onto the runway we could see 20+ sea gulls about 2000' down the runway resting on the runway (the airport had been mowing the grass bordering the runway area). I mentioned to the first officer that we could use an air horn to get the birds to leave, but as we started our spool-up and takeoff roll the sea gulls all took to the air and scattered in different directions. By the time we got to them they were all clear of the runway as we continued to accelerate. The problem was a second group of birds (20+) about 2000' further down the runway that we had not seen. These birds alerted by the scattering of the first group of birds started to clear the area, only our approach was far quicker than to the first group of birds and several of our feathered friends proceeded down the runway in the same direction as us. As we closed with these birds, and just prior to rotation, 2 of them reversed course and came back toward us, 1 high and 1 low--the high on dead center and above the cockpit windows. I believe the bird hit the aircraft just above the windows. The low bird went down the left side and through the fan section of the left engine. The first officer was making the takeoff and we were approaching rotation as the bird went through the fan section of the engine. As the first officer started to raise the nose a very pronounced airframe vibration commenced. I decided to abort and did so. I put both engines into reverse and the airframe buffet continued throughout the deceleration rollout. Maximum braking was not needed or used. We did call out the crash crew to check and monitor possible hot brakes, but they turned out to only be warm. 3 blades were badly bent and were subsequently replaced along with the 3 hot section symmetrical blades. Tower could have and should have warned us that there were more birds than met the eye from the end of the runway. We should have insisted that the airport clear the birds before we started our takeoff roll and not rely on our noise and motion to do the job. Birds are not necessarily predictable and their ability for mischief deserves our respect. Sea gulls are bigger than pigeons.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT BIRD INGESTION ON TKOF FOLLOWED BY TKOF ABORT.

Narrative: CLRED BY TWR FOR TKOF RWY 35 FAR. TOLD TO 'CAUTION THE BIRDS.' AS WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY WE COULD SEE 20+ SEA GULLS ABOUT 2000' DOWN THE RWY RESTING ON THE RWY (THE ARPT HAD BEEN MOWING THE GRASS BORDERING THE RWY AREA). I MENTIONED TO THE F/O THAT WE COULD USE AN AIR HORN TO GET THE BIRDS TO LEAVE, BUT AS WE STARTED OUR SPOOL-UP AND TKOF ROLL THE SEA GULLS ALL TOOK TO THE AIR AND SCATTERED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THEM THEY WERE ALL CLR OF THE RWY AS WE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE PROB WAS A SECOND GROUP OF BIRDS (20+) ABOUT 2000' FURTHER DOWN THE RWY THAT WE HAD NOT SEEN. THESE BIRDS ALERTED BY THE SCATTERING OF THE FIRST GROUP OF BIRDS STARTED TO CLR THE AREA, ONLY OUR APCH WAS FAR QUICKER THAN TO THE FIRST GROUP OF BIRDS AND SEVERAL OF OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS PROCEEDED DOWN THE RWY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS US. AS WE CLOSED WITH THESE BIRDS, AND JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION, 2 OF THEM REVERSED COURSE AND CAME BACK TOWARD US, 1 HIGH AND 1 LOW--THE HIGH ON DEAD CENTER AND ABOVE THE COCKPIT WINDOWS. I BELIEVE THE BIRD HIT THE ACFT JUST ABOVE THE WINDOWS. THE LOW BIRD WENT DOWN THE LEFT SIDE AND THROUGH THE FAN SECTION OF THE LEFT ENG. THE F/O WAS MAKING THE TKOF AND WE WERE APCHING ROTATION AS THE BIRD WENT THROUGH THE FAN SECTION OF THE ENG. AS THE F/O STARTED TO RAISE THE NOSE A VERY PRONOUNCED AIRFRAME VIBRATION COMMENCED. I DECIDED TO ABORT AND DID SO. I PUT BOTH ENGS INTO REVERSE AND THE AIRFRAME BUFFET CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE DECELERATION ROLLOUT. MAX BRAKING WAS NOT NEEDED OR USED. WE DID CALL OUT THE CRASH CREW TO CHK AND MONITOR POSSIBLE HOT BRAKES, BUT THEY TURNED OUT TO ONLY BE WARM. 3 BLADES WERE BADLY BENT AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED ALONG WITH THE 3 HOT SECTION SYMMETRICAL BLADES. TWR COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE WARNED US THAT THERE WERE MORE BIRDS THAN MET THE EYE FROM THE END OF THE RWY. WE SHOULD HAVE INSISTED THAT THE ARPT CLR THE BIRDS BEFORE WE STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL AND NOT RELY ON OUR NOISE AND MOTION TO DO THE JOB. BIRDS ARE NOT NECESSARILY PREDICTABLE AND THEIR ABILITY FOR MISCHIEF DESERVES OUR RESPECT. SEA GULLS ARE BIGGER THAN PIGEONS.

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.