Bird strike on a BE1900 commuter flight during flare and touchdown during IMC conditions at pou, ny.

Attributes
ACN	509620
Time
Date	200104
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pou.airport
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 181 flight time total : 1743 flight time type : 248
ASRS Report	509620
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : animal inflight encounter : birds
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Airport
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

I was the PF on the commuter's BE1900D. We entered the clouds on descent into pou, ny, at 3000 ft. We were in contact with new york approach while being vectored onto the ILS to runway 6. Outside the FAF, new york approach advised us to contact pou tower. Tower then cleared us to land. We broke out about 200 ft above the decision ht and proceeded to land with a visual on the runway of intended landing. In the flare, a flock of 15-20 birds (seagulls) departed from the side of the runway abeam the touchdown zone markings. I continued the flare with the seagulls flying in the same direction as the aircraft down runway 6. However, we were too close when they lifted off and one struck our aircraft. There was no damage but inspection of the airport environment by an airport employee confirmed a bird was found near the area of the strike. It was indeed killed. We filled out a report for the strike as per our operations specifications. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIRD STRIKE ON A BE1900 COMMUTER FLT DURING FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN DURING IMC CONDITIONS AT POU, NY.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF ON THE COMMUTER'S BE1900D. WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS ON DSCNT INTO POU, NY, AT 3000 FT. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH NEW YORK APCH WHILE BEING VECTORED ONTO THE ILS TO RWY 6. OUTSIDE THE FAF, NEW YORK APCH ADVISED US TO CONTACT POU TWR. TWR THEN CLRED US TO LAND. WE BROKE OUT ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE DECISION HT AND PROCEEDED TO LAND WITH A VISUAL ON THE RWY OF INTENDED LNDG. IN THE FLARE, A FLOCK OF 15-20 BIRDS (SEAGULLS) DEPARTED FROM THE SIDE OF THE RWY ABEAM THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE MARKINGS. I CONTINUED THE FLARE WITH THE SEAGULLS FLYING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE ACFT DOWN RWY 6. HOWEVER, WE WERE TOO CLOSE WHEN THEY LIFTED OFF AND ONE STRUCK OUR ACFT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE BUT INSPECTION OF THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT BY AN ARPT EMPLOYEE CONFIRMED A BIRD WAS FOUND NEAR THE AREA OF THE STRIKE. IT WAS INDEED KILLED. WE FILLED OUT A RPT FOR THE STRIKE AS PER OUR OPS SPECS. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.