Narrative:

We were taking off runway 23. Temperature around 90 degrees F and heavy (104000 pounds) takeoff weight. Back taxi displaced threshold to utilize entire length. V1 calculated at approximately 140-145 KTS. At approximately 120-125 KTS had apparent bird strike in #1 engine. Aircraft yawed just slightly and momentarily to the left. Buzzing sound in #1 engine. Captain immediately and very effectively aborted takeoff. Advised tower of the abort and continued taxi off the runway. Brakes were obviously hot from a heavy aircraft with high outside temperatures and an abort. When we decided to return to gate, 3 of the 4 thermal plugs in the main gear tires melted, causing us to have 3 flat tires. Unable to taxi. Between company and local airport authority/authorized, were able to get airstairs and buses to get passenger off the aircraft and back to the terminal. No one including crew and passenger were hurt during the actual abort or the deplaning of the passenger. Everything actually seemed to go just as practiced yr in, yr out, at annual recurrent training. High speed aborts are very serious and also require quick and decisive action. In retrospect, the #1 engine did take in a bird or birds but no damage to the engine was found. The tires and brakes were replaced prior to the aircraft being put back in service. Perhaps the aircraft would have continued the takeoff roll and takeoff uneventfully, but a decision was made prior to reaching V1 to abort. Better safe than sorry, the speed was below V1 with lots of pavement ahead. I was pleasantly surprised at the patience and understanding of the passenger. They, too, seemed to be aware of what happened and the ramifications involved. They do understand safety and matters related to it. From the before takeoff checklist to the parking checklist after the abort, everything was SOP. The captain did an outstanding job aborting the takeoff hot and heavy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOREIGN OBJECT INGESTION BIRD STRIKE. TKOF WAS ABORTED AFTER AN ENG BUZZING SOUND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY YAW.

Narrative: WE WERE TAKING OFF RWY 23. TEMP AROUND 90 DEGS F AND HVY (104000 LBS) TKOF WT. BACK TAXI DISPLACED THRESHOLD TO UTILIZE ENTIRE LENGTH. V1 CALCULATED AT APPROX 140-145 KTS. AT APPROX 120-125 KTS HAD APPARENT BIRD STRIKE IN #1 ENG. ACFT YAWED JUST SLIGHTLY AND MOMENTARILY TO THE L. BUZZING SOUND IN #1 ENG. CAPT IMMEDIATELY AND VERY EFFECTIVELY ABORTED TKOF. ADVISED TWR OF THE ABORT AND CONTINUED TAXI OFF THE RWY. BRAKES WERE OBVIOUSLY HOT FROM A HVY ACFT WITH HIGH OUTSIDE TEMPS AND AN ABORT. WHEN WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO GATE, 3 OF THE 4 THERMAL PLUGS IN THE MAIN GEAR TIRES MELTED, CAUSING US TO HAVE 3 FLAT TIRES. UNABLE TO TAXI. BTWN COMPANY AND LCL ARPT AUTH, WERE ABLE TO GET AIRSTAIRS AND BUSES TO GET PAX OFF THE ACFT AND BACK TO THE TERMINAL. NO ONE INCLUDING CREW AND PAX WERE HURT DURING THE ACTUAL ABORT OR THE DEPLANING OF THE PAX. EVERYTHING ACTUALLY SEEMED TO GO JUST AS PRACTICED YR IN, YR OUT, AT ANNUAL RECURRENT TRAINING. HIGH SPD ABORTS ARE VERY SERIOUS AND ALSO REQUIRE QUICK AND DECISIVE ACTION. IN RETROSPECT, THE #1 ENG DID TAKE IN A BIRD OR BIRDS BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE ENG WAS FOUND. THE TIRES AND BRAKES WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO THE ACFT BEING PUT BACK IN SVC. PERHAPS THE ACFT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED THE TKOF ROLL AND TKOF UNEVENTFULLY, BUT A DECISION WAS MADE PRIOR TO REACHING V1 TO ABORT. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY, THE SPD WAS BELOW V1 WITH LOTS OF PAVEMENT AHEAD. I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT THE PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAX. THEY, TOO, SEEMED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED AND THE RAMIFICATIONS INVOLVED. THEY DO UNDERSTAND SAFETY AND MATTERS RELATED TO IT. FROM THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST TO THE PARKING CHKLIST AFTER THE ABORT, EVERYTHING WAS SOP. THE CAPT DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB ABORTING THE TKOF HOT AND HVY.

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.