Light transport bird strike during landing.

Attributes
ACN	256097
Time
Date	199311
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lch
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 10 agl bound upper : 10
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lch
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 240
ASRS Report	256097
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Approximately 3 mi final tower called 'caution for birds in vicinity of windsock' (or something like that). We acknowledged. I turned on the radar (the theory being birds will sense it and may clear). Observed no birds until in ground effect when about 200-300 ft became airborne at midfield (windsock is right of runway at midfield). Considered a go around when several hundred more became airborne both sides of runway at midfield. Avoidance was impossible and struck perhaps a dozen birds as the nose gear was touching down. Scanned engines and all was normal. Informed tower of bird strikes. After taxi in we conducted a post-flight inspection and noted the remains of several birds. Requested tower conduct a runway inspection. Called dispatch and maintenance. A mechanic of ours was listed on our outbound flight. He conducted the necessary inspections and completed the maintenance forms. If tower had informed us, in greater detail, of the extent of that flock I would have selected a different runway. Bird cautions are routinely received and though we became more alert to the situation there was no way we could avoid this flock once committed to landing. Tower informed me they completed aml FAA 5200-7.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT BIRD STRIKE DURING LNDG.

Narrative: APPROX 3 MI FINAL TWR CALLED 'CAUTION FOR BIRDS IN VICINITY OF WINDSOCK' (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT). WE ACKNOWLEDGED. I TURNED ON THE RADAR (THE THEORY BEING BIRDS WILL SENSE IT AND MAY CLR). OBSERVED NO BIRDS UNTIL IN GND EFFECT WHEN ABOUT 200-300 FT BECAME AIRBORNE AT MIDFIELD (WINDSOCK IS R OF RWY AT MIDFIELD). CONSIDERED A GAR WHEN SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE BECAME AIRBORNE BOTH SIDES OF RWY AT MIDFIELD. AVOIDANCE WAS IMPOSSIBLE AND STRUCK PERHAPS A DOZEN BIRDS AS THE NOSE GEAR WAS TOUCHING DOWN. SCANNED ENGS AND ALL WAS NORMAL. INFORMED TWR OF BIRD STRIKES. AFTER TAXI IN WE CONDUCTED A POST-FLT INSPECTION AND NOTED THE REMAINS OF SEVERAL BIRDS. REQUESTED TWR CONDUCT A RWY INSPECTION. CALLED DISPATCH AND MAINT. A MECH OF OURS WAS LISTED ON OUR OUTBOUND FLT. HE CONDUCTED THE NECESSARY INSPECTIONS AND COMPLETED THE MAINT FORMS. IF TWR HAD INFORMED US, IN GREATER DETAIL, OF THE EXTENT OF THAT FLOCK I WOULD HAVE SELECTED A DIFFERENT RWY. BIRD CAUTIONS ARE ROUTINELY RECEIVED AND THOUGH WE BECAME MORE ALERT TO THE SIT THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD AVOID THIS FLOCK ONCE COMMITTED TO LNDG. TWR INFORMED ME THEY COMPLETED AML FAA 5200-7.

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.