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During a departure turn at low altitude, an MD80 flight crew declares an emergency after loud impact heard and smell of burning rubber. Fearing a collision of some sort, they elect to go back to stl.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 362530 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : stl |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : stl tower : ewr |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 362530 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 362537 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Shortly after takeoff, while turning to assigned heading, a very loud impact was felt and heard throughout the cockpit and cabin. Collision with a light aircraft or explosion of a nose tire in the wheel well were suspected. A faint odor of ozone or burnt rubber heightened the decision to declare an emergency and return to stl, the airport of departure. Emergency airport vehicles deployed, but the aircraft landed safely. Airline maintenance inspection revealed 7 bird strikes with serious impact damage to radome, both wings, and the #2 engine nacelle. Bird remains were found in both engines, although no signs of engine failure were evident at any time. The bird remains appeared to be from sea gulls. Bird advisories were in effect on airport ATIS, but of no help at nighttime. Technology to detect and provide separation from flocks seems to be the only real solution. Both the first officer and I are convinced that only luck prevented us from losing both engines with no realistic chance for returning to stl. Supplemental information from acn 362537: I flew while captain managed problem, looked for appropriate checklist, and conferred with maintenance, requested crash fire rescue equipment trucks. Both wings had holes approximately 6-8 inches across, 4 inches wide. R-hand cowling at 6 O'clock position dented in 3 inches by 8 inches. Bird still in bottom of cowling.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING A DEP TURN AT LOW ALT, AN MD80 FLC DECLARES AN EMER AFTER LOUD IMPACT HEARD AND SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. FEARING A COLLISION OF SOME SORT, THEY ELECT TO GO BACK TO STL.
Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, WHILE TURNING TO ASSIGNED HDG, A VERY LOUD IMPACT WAS FELT AND HEARD THROUGHOUT THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. COLLISION WITH A LIGHT ACFT OR EXPLOSION OF A NOSE TIRE IN THE WHEEL WELL WERE SUSPECTED. A FAINT ODOR OF OZONE OR BURNT RUBBER HEIGHTENED THE DECISION TO DECLARE AN EMER AND RETURN TO STL, THE ARPT OF DEP. EMER ARPT VEHICLES DEPLOYED, BUT THE ACFT LANDED SAFELY. AIRLINE MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED 7 BIRD STRIKES WITH SERIOUS IMPACT DAMAGE TO RADOME, BOTH WINGS, AND THE #2 ENG NACELLE. BIRD REMAINS WERE FOUND IN BOTH ENGS, ALTHOUGH NO SIGNS OF ENG FAILURE WERE EVIDENT AT ANY TIME. THE BIRD REMAINS APPEARED TO BE FROM SEA GULLS. BIRD ADVISORIES WERE IN EFFECT ON ARPT ATIS, BUT OF NO HELP AT NIGHTTIME. TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT AND PROVIDE SEPARATION FROM FLOCKS SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY REAL SOLUTION. BOTH THE FO AND I ARE CONVINCED THAT ONLY LUCK PREVENTED US FROM LOSING BOTH ENGS WITH NO REALISTIC CHANCE FOR RETURNING TO STL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 362537: I FLEW WHILE CAPT MANAGED PROB, LOOKED FOR APPROPRIATE CHKLIST, AND CONFERRED WITH MAINT, REQUESTED CFR TRUCKS. BOTH WINGS HAD HOLES APPROX 6-8 INCHES ACROSS, 4 INCHES WIDE. R-HAND COWLING AT 6 O'CLOCK POS DENTED IN 3 INCHES BY 8 INCHES. BIRD STILL IN BOTTOM OF COWLING.
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.