 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Small aircraft aircraft reporter pilot discovered bird nest inside engine cowling. Reporter took out the material, went back to his office for a few mins and by the time he came back the birds had already started building again.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 400290 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sgr |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mia |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1100 |
| ASRS Report | 400290 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Feathered persistence: preflight after maintenance. Noticed on walkup to aircraft (C210) something hanging down in front of the right front cylinder. Bird's nest. Pulled out sticks, grass, bent safety wire and plastic ties -- could not get it all. Uncowled aircraft under the watchful eyes of 2 mockingbirds. Removed remainder of nest. Mechanic and I recowled the aircraft and walked back to his office. 3 mins later, I walked back out and noticed the flicker of a tail inside the cowl. I shooed the bird out. Found more nest material. Cleaned it out and walked around the pilot's seat. While adjusting seat belt, the bird flew back inside. How do you win this? I didn't want to hurt the bird, so I left fuel cut off and cranked the starter. Out flew the bird. I primed and started up. The bird flew into the cowl of another cessna as I made my getaway.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ACFT RPTR PLT DISCOVERED BIRD NEST INSIDE ENG COWLING. RPTR TOOK OUT THE MATERIAL, WENT BACK TO HIS OFFICE FOR A FEW MINS AND BY THE TIME HE CAME BACK THE BIRDS HAD ALREADY STARTED BUILDING AGAIN.
Narrative: FEATHERED PERSISTENCE: PREFLT AFTER MAINT. NOTICED ON WALKUP TO ACFT (C210) SOMETHING HANGING DOWN IN FRONT OF THE R FRONT CYLINDER. BIRD'S NEST. PULLED OUT STICKS, GRASS, BENT SAFETY WIRE AND PLASTIC TIES -- COULD NOT GET IT ALL. UNCOWLED ACFT UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYES OF 2 MOCKINGBIRDS. REMOVED REMAINDER OF NEST. MECH AND I RECOWLED THE ACFT AND WALKED BACK TO HIS OFFICE. 3 MINS LATER, I WALKED BACK OUT AND NOTICED THE FLICKER OF A TAIL INSIDE THE COWL. I SHOOED THE BIRD OUT. FOUND MORE NEST MATERIAL. CLEANED IT OUT AND WALKED AROUND THE PLT'S SEAT. WHILE ADJUSTING SEAT BELT, THE BIRD FLEW BACK INSIDE. HOW DO YOU WIN THIS? I DIDN'T WANT TO HURT THE BIRD, SO I LEFT FUEL CUT OFF AND CRANKED THE STARTER. OUT FLEW THE BIRD. I PRIMED AND STARTED UP. THE BIRD FLEW INTO THE COWL OF ANOTHER CESSNA AS I MADE MY GETAWAY.
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.