Narrative:

I was flying to the eureka airport to pick up a co-employee. The wind was less than 10 KTS from the northwest. There were occasional flocks of geese visible in the area. I taxied to runway 29, and after run-up and preflight checks, I visually checked for traffic in the pattern. No traffic or hazards were visible, so I announced my departure intentions on the CTAF and commenced the takeoff roll. I rotated normally, and was climbing through 50-100 ft when I observed a flock of geese appear from behind the tree line bordering the north side of runway 29. There were at least 5 geese in a class 'V,' flying just above my altitude, off my right side, flying roughly sbound on a collision course with my aircraft. I initiated a leveloff hoping that the geese would fly over me, but the flock apparently observed my approaching aircraft and scattered. A couple of the birds dove, while the others seemed to go up, and to the right. I felt that a collision was imminent, and that my only escape was to the left, so I made a hard left turn. I lost sight of the birds during the turn. I was now 50-100 ft off the ground flying toward the air carrier terminal. Even though there was no aircraft on the ground there, I did not wish to distress anyone in or around the terminal building, so I maintained the left turn. I passed over the northeast corner of an aviation building as I rolled out on a safe heading, and sustained a heavy climb. I continued the flight without further incident. In reflection I am not sure what other maneuver I could have performed which would have successfully evaded a collision with the birds. However, in the future, I may choose something which would enable me to keep them in sight. I also feel it worth mentioning that the large stand of trees on the north side of runway 29 acted as a visual impairment in this case. These trees also cause moderate to occasional severe turbulence at the arrival end of runway 29 during the summer months, and should be removed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA38 PLT, DEPARTING CEC, TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AT 100 FT TO AVOID A FLOCK OF GEESE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING TO THE EUREKA ARPT TO PICK UP A CO-EMPLOYEE. THE WIND WAS LESS THAN 10 KTS FROM THE NW. THERE WERE OCCASIONAL FLOCKS OF GEESE VISIBLE IN THE AREA. I TAXIED TO RWY 29, AND AFTER RUN-UP AND PREFLT CHKS, I VISUALLY CHKED FOR TFC IN THE PATTERN. NO TFC OR HAZARDS WERE VISIBLE, SO I ANNOUNCED MY DEP INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF AND COMMENCED THE TKOF ROLL. I ROTATED NORMALLY, AND WAS CLBING THROUGH 50-100 FT WHEN I OBSERVED A FLOCK OF GEESE APPEAR FROM BEHIND THE TREE LINE BORDERING THE N SIDE OF RWY 29. THERE WERE AT LEAST 5 GEESE IN A CLASS 'V,' FLYING JUST ABOVE MY ALT, OFF MY R SIDE, FLYING ROUGHLY SBOUND ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH MY ACFT. I INITIATED A LEVELOFF HOPING THAT THE GEESE WOULD FLY OVER ME, BUT THE FLOCK APPARENTLY OBSERVED MY APCHING ACFT AND SCATTERED. A COUPLE OF THE BIRDS DOVE, WHILE THE OTHERS SEEMED TO GO UP, AND TO THE R. I FELT THAT A COLLISION WAS IMMINENT, AND THAT MY ONLY ESCAPE WAS TO THE L, SO I MADE A HARD L TURN. I LOST SIGHT OF THE BIRDS DURING THE TURN. I WAS NOW 50-100 FT OFF THE GND FLYING TOWARD THE ACR TERMINAL. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO ACFT ON THE GND THERE, I DID NOT WISH TO DISTRESS ANYONE IN OR AROUND THE TERMINAL BUILDING, SO I MAINTAINED THE L TURN. I PASSED OVER THE NE CORNER OF AN AVIATION BUILDING AS I ROLLED OUT ON A SAFE HDG, AND SUSTAINED A HVY CLB. I CONTINUED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN REFLECTION I AM NOT SURE WHAT OTHER MANEUVER I COULD HAVE PERFORMED WHICH WOULD HAVE SUCCESSFULLY EVADED A COLLISION WITH THE BIRDS. HOWEVER, IN THE FUTURE, I MAY CHOOSE SOMETHING WHICH WOULD ENABLE ME TO KEEP THEM IN SIGHT. I ALSO FEEL IT WORTH MENTIONING THAT THE LARGE STAND OF TREES ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 29 ACTED AS A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN THIS CASE. THESE TREES ALSO CAUSE MODERATE TO OCCASIONAL SEVERE TURB AT THE ARR END OF RWY 29 DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, AND SHOULD BE REMOVED.

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.