A passanger, a military fuel system technician, notes a possible problem with the flts continuation ...

Attributes
ACN	503254
Time
Date	200112
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : smf.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure : other published ifr departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	controller : military technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : birds other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : pax 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

On dec/xa/00, aboard flight departing sacramento, ca, bound for houston, tx, there was an incident which deserves some attention. I was seated in a seat on the right side of the aircraft, just aft of the inlet of the #2 engine. Shortly after we broke ground in sacramento, and around the time of the landing gear retraction, there was a jolt which shook the entire aircraft, including the #2 engine which I immediately observed. Within 1 min, the cabin was filled with the smell of something burning and a slight haze settled in from the air conditioning system. The flight crew began looking above the baggage compartments and out the windows for any indications of what might be wrong. Needless to say, I was a bit shaken up. Moments later, the pilot announced over the intercom that a goose had struck the belly of the aircraft, that the aircraft was fine, and that we would be proceeding with our 3 hour 40 min flight to houston. I was instantly concerned because as an 8 yr aircraft maintainer, fuel system repair in the military, I know that the air conditioning system is operated with bleed air from the engines. The pilot. Of all people, should know this. The instant that he saw or heard that there was smoke in the cabin, he should have, and I would speculate he did in fact know that something had happened to one of the engines. I don't know FAA or airline procedures or the durability of a B737's engines. I would, however, hope that if the pilot knew of thought it probably that there was a bird strike, he would shut the engine down at the very least. I don't suppose it would be a very nice picture if a turbine wheel departed from the engine. With only 2 engines on a B737, the next course of action I would hope for would be to declare an in-flight emergency and return to the nearest landing strip. As a passenger with no control of the situation, I was an am very angry to say the least that someone made a decision which could very well have cost me my life.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PASSANGER, A MILITARY FUEL SYSTEM TECHNICIAN, NOTES A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE FLTS CONTINUATION TO DEST AFTER A BIRD STRIKE ON THE STARBOARD ENGINE OF A B-737 AFTER TKOF FROM SMF, CA.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/00, ABOARD FLT DEPARTING SACRAMENTO, CA, BOUND FOR HOUSTON, TX, THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHICH DESERVES SOME ATTN. I WAS SEATED IN A SEAT ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT, JUST AFT OF THE INLET OF THE #2 ENG. SHORTLY AFTER WE BROKE GND IN SACRAMENTO, AND AROUND THE TIME OF THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTION, THERE WAS A JOLT WHICH SHOOK THE ENTIRE ACFT, INCLUDING THE #2 ENG WHICH I IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED. WITHIN 1 MIN, THE CABIN WAS FILLED WITH THE SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING AND A SLIGHT HAZE SETTLED IN FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. THE FLC BEGAN LOOKING ABOVE THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENTS AND OUT THE WINDOWS FOR ANY INDICATIONS OF WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS A BIT SHAKEN UP. MOMENTS LATER, THE PLT ANNOUNCED OVER THE INTERCOM THAT A GOOSE HAD STRUCK THE BELLY OF THE ACFT, THAT THE ACFT WAS FINE, AND THAT WE WOULD BE PROCEEDING WITH OUR 3 HR 40 MIN FLT TO HOUSTON. I WAS INSTANTLY CONCERNED BECAUSE AS AN 8 YR ACFT MAINTAINER, FUEL SYS REPAIR IN THE MIL, I KNOW THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS IS OPERATED WITH BLEED AIR FROM THE ENGS. THE PLT. OF ALL PEOPLE, SHOULD KNOW THIS. THE INSTANT THAT HE SAW OR HEARD THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN, HE SHOULD HAVE, AND I WOULD SPECULATE HE DID IN FACT KNOW THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO ONE OF THE ENGS. I DON'T KNOW FAA OR AIRLINE PROCS OR THE DURABILITY OF A B737'S ENGS. I WOULD, HOWEVER, HOPE THAT IF THE PLT KNEW OF THOUGHT IT PROBABLY THAT THERE WAS A BIRD STRIKE, HE WOULD SHUT THE ENG DOWN AT THE VERY LEAST. I DON'T SUPPOSE IT WOULD BE A VERY NICE PICTURE IF A TURBINE WHEEL DEPARTED FROM THE ENG. WITH ONLY 2 ENGS ON A B737, THE NEXT COURSE OF ACTION I WOULD HOPE FOR WOULD BE TO DECLARE AN INFLT EMER AND RETURN TO THE NEAREST LNDG STRIP. AS A PAX WITH NO CTL OF THE SIT, I WAS AN AM VERY ANGRY TO SAY THE LEAST THAT SOMEONE MADE A DECISION WHICH COULD VERY WELL HAVE COST ME MY LIFE.

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.

A passanger, a military fuel system technician, notes a possible problem with the flts continuation to destination after a bird strike on the starboard engine of a B-737 after takeoff from smf, ca.