PA24 impacted by ducks on approach to land.

Attributes
ACN	316064
Time
Date	199509
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dln
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-24 Comanche
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 280 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	316064
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Entering left downwind to runway 16 at dln. Pilot and 3 passenger on board a PA24-250. In a nose high attitude to slow for gear extension. At 140 mph lowered nose at 800 ft AGL and reached for gear. A flock of about 20 ducks came into view from right to left and rising. I started evasive action. The flock scattered and we impacted multiple ducks in 1-2 seconds. One duck shattered the windscreen, eviscerating itself and ending in the back seat. Passenger were covered in blood and guts, all headsets were knocked off eliminating communication. Added power to maintain airspeed, turned base and final, gear extension on final, no flaps, more power for airspeed. Landed without incident, taxied to FBO. No injuries. Blood and guts were ducks, one duck strike/dent lower cowl below propeller, 2 dents on vertical tail and one carcass inside. Impressions: due to nose high attitude to slow to gear extension, I had no view of ducks rising below me. Blood on passenger was very unsettling and loss of communication contributed. When windscreen came out, major airspeed loss, it would be very easy to stall at 800 ft AGL. Even more power was needed with gear extension. Need to be more vigilant for birds. Slow more gradually with less nose-up to improve visibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 IMPACTED BY DUCKS ON APCH TO LAND.

Narrative: ENTERING L DOWNWIND TO RWY 16 AT DLN. PLT AND 3 PAX ON BOARD A PA24-250. IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE TO SLOW FOR GEAR EXTENSION. AT 140 MPH LOWERED NOSE AT 800 FT AGL AND REACHED FOR GEAR. A FLOCK OF ABOUT 20 DUCKS CAME INTO VIEW FROM R TO L AND RISING. I STARTED EVASIVE ACTION. THE FLOCK SCATTERED AND WE IMPACTED MULTIPLE DUCKS IN 1-2 SECONDS. ONE DUCK SHATTERED THE WINDSCREEN, EVISCERATING ITSELF AND ENDING IN THE BACK SEAT. PAX WERE COVERED IN BLOOD AND GUTS, ALL HEADSETS WERE KNOCKED OFF ELIMINATING COM. ADDED PWR TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD, TURNED BASE AND FINAL, GEAR EXTENSION ON FINAL, NO FLAPS, MORE PWR FOR AIRSPD. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, TAXIED TO FBO. NO INJURIES. BLOOD AND GUTS WERE DUCKS, ONE DUCK STRIKE/DENT LOWER COWL BELOW PROP, 2 DENTS ON VERT TAIL AND ONE CARCASS INSIDE. IMPRESSIONS: DUE TO NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE TO SLOW TO GEAR EXTENSION, I HAD NO VIEW OF DUCKS RISING BELOW ME. BLOOD ON PAX WAS VERY UNSETTLING AND LOSS OF COM CONTRIBUTED. WHEN WINDSCREEN CAME OUT, MAJOR AIRSPD LOSS, IT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO STALL AT 800 FT AGL. EVEN MORE PWR WAS NEEDED WITH GEAR EXTENSION. NEED TO BE MORE VIGILANT FOR BIRDS. SLOW MORE GRADUALLY WITH LESS NOSE-UP TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY.

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.