Flight crew experienced encounter with a flock of starlings on the takeoff roll and aborted.

Attributes
ACN	303381
Time
Date	199504
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	303381
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On takeoff roll, runway 1R sfo, a flock of starlings rose from grass area, left of runway. Between taxiway F and runway 28L. They were very dense and close to the runway as they flew downwind to the east. Shortly after V1/vr call, the aircraft seemed completely enveloped in birds. I suspected the possibility of heavy bird ingestion in both engines and with numerous strikes on my windshield I rejected the takeoff. The aircraft was brought to a stop using autobrake rejected takeoff with transition to manual brakes below 80 KTS. This was the thickest flock of birds I have ever experienced in 29 yrs of commercial flying. They rose like a cloud and streamed like a solid spear across the runway. I could hardly see daylight through them. Amazingly, we only left about 35 carcasses behind us and there were none found in the engines. Sketch an attempt to replicate original sketch made shortly after encounter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXPERIENCED ENCOUNTER WITH A FLOCK OF STARLINGS ON THE TKOF ROLL AND ABORTED.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL, RWY 1R SFO, A FLOCK OF STARLINGS ROSE FROM GRASS AREA, L OF RWY. BTWN TXWY F AND RWY 28L. THEY WERE VERY DENSE AND CLOSE TO THE RWY AS THEY FLEW DOWNWIND TO THE E. SHORTLY AFTER V1/VR CALL, THE ACFT SEEMED COMPLETELY ENVELOPED IN BIRDS. I SUSPECTED THE POSSIBILITY OF HVY BIRD INGESTION IN BOTH ENGS AND WITH NUMEROUS STRIKES ON MY WINDSHIELD I REJECTED THE TKOF. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP USING AUTOBRAKE RTO WITH TRANSITION TO MANUAL BRAKES BELOW 80 KTS. THIS WAS THE THICKEST FLOCK OF BIRDS I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN 29 YRS OF COMMERCIAL FLYING. THEY ROSE LIKE A CLOUD AND STREAMED LIKE A SOLID SPEAR ACROSS THE RWY. I COULD HARDLY SEE DAYLIGHT THROUGH THEM. AMAZINGLY, WE ONLY LEFT ABOUT 35 CARCASSES BEHIND US AND THERE WERE NONE FOUND IN THE ENGS. SKETCH AN ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE ORIGINAL SKETCH MADE SHORTLY AFTER ENCOUNTER.

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.