Narrative:

This event took place just a few mins after takeoff. All flight attendants were still seated in their jump seats. Just after takeoff, I noticed an object in my peripheral vision to my left. I heard the noise of something hitting the aircraft in the rear somewhere and the smell of a fire and smoke. That disappeared quickly and a foul odor filled the cabin. The #1 flight attendant started her routine PA and I left my jump seat to inform her that we had a problem in the rear of the aircraft. As I walked forward, call lights came on and passenger called out 'what is that smell?' flight attendant #1 opened the cockpit door to speak with the crew -- it was obvious they were busy dealing with the situation. The captain said 'we hit a bird, everything is fine, the engine is operating normally. We are going back.' we were informed by a PA that we were not declaring an emergency and that we would return to mia as soon as possible. I made several passes through the cabin to check the passenger, luggage, seat backs, etc. I spoke with several passenger. I did spend time with 1 couple who were seated on the ab side of the aircraft. The young lady was very upset -- she was crying and shaking. I tried to reassure her, explain what had happened and that everything was operating fine. We did have a large group of passenger who were non english speaking and we tried to find someone in the group who could explain to the others what was going on. We landed in a very short period of time. Everything was normal except for the emergency equipment that followed our landing. The aircraft was checked and the flight was canceled. We were full and the passenger were moved to other flts over the afternoon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, MIA-DCA. BIRD HIT ENG ON TKOF. RETURN TO MIA. FLT CANCELED. PAX UPSET.

Narrative: THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE JUST A FEW MINS AFTER TKOF. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE STILL SEATED IN THEIR JUMP SEATS. JUST AFTER TKOF, I NOTICED AN OBJECT IN MY PERIPHERAL VISION TO MY L. I HEARD THE NOISE OF SOMETHING HITTING THE ACFT IN THE REAR SOMEWHERE AND THE SMELL OF A FIRE AND SMOKE. THAT DISAPPEARED QUICKLY AND A FOUL ODOR FILLED THE CABIN. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT STARTED HER ROUTINE PA AND I LEFT MY JUMP SEAT TO INFORM HER THAT WE HAD A PROB IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. AS I WALKED FORWARD, CALL LIGHTS CAME ON AND PAX CALLED OUT 'WHAT IS THAT SMELL?' FLT ATTENDANT #1 OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR TO SPEAK WITH THE CREW -- IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY WERE BUSY DEALING WITH THE SIT. THE CAPT SAID 'WE HIT A BIRD, EVERYTHING IS FINE, THE ENG IS OPERATING NORMALLY. WE ARE GOING BACK.' WE WERE INFORMED BY A PA THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER AND THAT WE WOULD RETURN TO MIA ASAP. I MADE SEVERAL PASSES THROUGH THE CABIN TO CHK THE PAX, LUGGAGE, SEAT BACKS, ETC. I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL PAX. I DID SPEND TIME WITH 1 COUPLE WHO WERE SEATED ON THE AB SIDE OF THE ACFT. THE YOUNG LADY WAS VERY UPSET -- SHE WAS CRYING AND SHAKING. I TRIED TO REASSURE HER, EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS OPERATING FINE. WE DID HAVE A LARGE GROUP OF PAX WHO WERE NON ENGLISH SPEAKING AND WE TRIED TO FIND SOMEONE IN THE GROUP WHO COULD EXPLAIN TO THE OTHERS WHAT WAS GOING ON. WE LANDED IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL EXCEPT FOR THE EMER EQUIP THAT FOLLOWED OUR LNDG. THE ACFT WAS CHKED AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED. WE WERE FULL AND THE PAX WERE MOVED TO OTHER FLTS OVER THE AFTERNOON.

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.