At 600 ft flight crew flew through a flock of birds.

Attributes
ACN	290903
Time
Date	199412
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure 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 : 250 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 13000
ASRS Report	290903
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 : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departed runway 27L philadelphia. About 600 ft struck a flock of duck sized, dark colored birds in a fairly close group. Engines and aircraft performance was never affected. Ground inspection revealed strikes on nose, all forward. Facing windshields top and forward fuselage, engine bullets and cowls wing slats and horizontal and vertical stabilizer. Several apparently went through the engines. Total number of strikes was 25-50. Return and land at phl was normal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT 600 FT FLC FLEW THROUGH A FLOCK OF BIRDS.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 27L PHILADELPHIA. ABOUT 600 FT STRUCK A FLOCK OF DUCK SIZED, DARK COLORED BIRDS IN A FAIRLY CLOSE GROUP. ENGS AND ACFT PERFORMANCE WAS NEVER AFFECTED. GND INSPECTION REVEALED STRIKES ON NOSE, ALL FORWARD. FACING WINDSHIELDS TOP AND FORWARD FUSELAGE, ENG BULLETS AND COWLS WING SLATS AND HORIZ AND VERT STABILIZER. SEVERAL APPARENTLY WENT THROUGH THE ENGS. TOTAL NUMBER OF STRIKES WAS 25-50. RETURN AND LAND AT PHL WAS NORMAL.

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.