Narrative:

After a 9 hour layover in srq, we started what was expected to be an uneventful day. The first officer was at the controls as we started a rolling takeoff on runway 14 in srq. He initially advanced the throttles as I aligned the aircraft with the runway. I then turned over the control of the aircraft to him and I engaged the autothrottles and fine-tuned the power setting. I then alternated my scan between the inside and outside of the aircraft. As we accelerated we thought maybe we saw a couple of birds on the runway. We could not tell for sure because they tended to blend in with the rubber deposits on the touchdown area of the runway and it was a gray overcast day which made visibility even worse. As we got close enough to tell they were birds, they started to scatter. A couple of the birds broke off to the sides and managed to get out of the way while 1 bird flew straight down the runway and that is the one that we hit. We initiated an abort at about 60 KTS or so and made an uneventful turnoff at the runway intersection. We taxied back to the gate and had a mechanic inspect the aircraft for damage -- there was none. We also checked the brake temperature and it remained in the normal range. We then resumed our flight on to our destination. Factors affecting situation: 1) dull gray day. 2) rubber deposits on runway. 3) if the tower was aware of birds on runway that information would have been most helpful to us in avoiding this situation. 4) short layover -- impossible to get 8 hours sleep and eat and get ready!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 PERFORMS AN ABORTED TKOF AFTER SUFFERING A BIRD STRIKE AT ABOUT 60 KTS AT SRQ ARPT, FL. CITES VISUAL INTERFERENCE OF WX AND RWY COLOR THAT MASKED THE PRESENCE OF BIRDS ON THE ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER A 9 HR LAYOVER IN SRQ, WE STARTED WHAT WAS EXPECTED TO BE AN UNEVENTFUL DAY. THE FO WAS AT THE CTLS AS WE STARTED A ROLLING TKOF ON RWY 14 IN SRQ. HE INITIALLY ADVANCED THE THROTTLES AS I ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH THE RWY. I THEN TURNED OVER THE CTL OF THE ACFT TO HIM AND I ENGAGED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND FINE-TUNED THE PWR SETTING. I THEN ALTERNATED MY SCAN BTWN THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT. AS WE ACCELERATED WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE SAW A COUPLE OF BIRDS ON THE RWY. WE COULD NOT TELL FOR SURE BECAUSE THEY TENDED TO BLEND IN WITH THE RUBBER DEPOSITS ON THE TOUCHDOWN AREA OF THE RWY AND IT WAS A GRAY OVCST DAY WHICH MADE VISIBILITY EVEN WORSE. AS WE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO TELL THEY WERE BIRDS, THEY STARTED TO SCATTER. A COUPLE OF THE BIRDS BROKE OFF TO THE SIDES AND MANAGED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY WHILE 1 BIRD FLEW STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY AND THAT IS THE ONE THAT WE HIT. WE INITIATED AN ABORT AT ABOUT 60 KTS OR SO AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TURNOFF AT THE RWY INTXN. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND HAD A MECH INSPECT THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE -- THERE WAS NONE. WE ALSO CHKED THE BRAKE TEMP AND IT REMAINED IN THE NORMAL RANGE. WE THEN RESUMED OUR FLT ON TO OUR DEST. FACTORS AFFECTING SIT: 1) DULL GRAY DAY. 2) RUBBER DEPOSITS ON RWY. 3) IF THE TWR WAS AWARE OF BIRDS ON RWY THAT INFO WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST HELPFUL TO US IN AVOIDING THIS SIT. 4) SHORT LAYOVER -- IMPOSSIBLE TO GET 8 HRS SLEEP AND EAT AND GET READY!

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.