Bird strike on takeoff. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	238492
Time
Date	199304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msy
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : msy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	238492
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13840 flight time type : 890
ASRS Report	238598
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During takeoff at new orleans, la, captain was flying, first officer called out V1, vr, V2. Nosewheel was just coming off the ground when a loud bang was heard, accompanied by a bad smell and a flash or explosion reported by both passenger and the new orleans tower from the left side of the aircraft. Takeoff was continued (we were beyond V1) and all flight characteristics were normal and all engine parameters continued to show and operate normally. An off duty pilot riding in the cabin, sitting next to the left engine, reported in his opinion it was the left engine that caused the flash of light and forwarded the idea of a possible bird ingestion. Birds were reported on the ATIS. This would account for the flash of light, loud bang (compressor stall) and bad smell coming through air conditioning ducts. We made a precautionary landing back at new orleans with the fire equipment standing by (in case of a possible blown tire). Flight attendants and passenger were prepared for all eventualities upon touchdown. The landing was normal, no signs of fire or smoke (as reported by the tower and fire fighting crew) and we taxied to the gate. Upon visual inspection of the left engine, blood was seen over several fan and stator vanes, increasing the likelihood of the bird ingestion theory. Supplemental information from acn 238598: an emergency was declared and an approach and return to msy was executed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIRD STRIKE ON TKOF. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: DURING TKOF AT NEW ORLEANS, LA, CAPT WAS FLYING, FO CALLED OUT V1, VR, V2. NOSEWHEEL WAS JUST COMING OFF THE GND WHEN A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD, ACCOMPANIED BY A BAD SMELL AND A FLASH OR EXPLOSION RPTED BY BOTH PAX AND THE NEW ORLEANS TWR FROM THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. TKOF WAS CONTINUED (WE WERE BEYOND V1) AND ALL FLT CHARACTERISTICS WERE NORMAL AND ALL ENG PARAMETERS CONTINUED TO SHOW AND OPERATE NORMALLY. AN OFF DUTY PLT RIDING IN THE CABIN, SITTING NEXT TO THE L ENG, RPTED IN HIS OPINION IT WAS THE L ENG THAT CAUSED THE FLASH OF LIGHT AND FORWARDED THE IDEA OF A POSSIBLE BIRD INGESTION. BIRDS WERE RPTED ON THE ATIS. THIS WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE FLASH OF LIGHT, LOUD BANG (COMPRESSOR STALL) AND BAD SMELL COMING THROUGH AIR CONDITIONING DUCTS. WE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG BACK AT NEW ORLEANS WITH THE FIRE EQUIP STANDING BY (IN CASE OF A POSSIBLE BLOWN TIRE). FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WERE PREPARED FOR ALL EVENTUALITIES UPON TOUCHDOWN. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL, NO SIGNS OF FIRE OR SMOKE (AS RPTED BY THE TWR AND FIRE FIGHTING CREW) AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE L ENG, BLOOD WAS SEEN OVER SEVERAL FAN AND STATOR VANES, INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE BIRD INGESTION THEORY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 238598: AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN APCH AND RETURN TO MSY WAS EXECUTED.

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.