Narrative:

On nov/sat/03 at approximately XA15 hours, flight ZZZ to ewr encountered a bird strike at 2500 ft, 2 mi west of the teb VOR. The flight was just given the turn to final approach course and clearance for the ILS runway 22L at ewr when a loud explosion was heard. An emergency was declared and a request was made for the crash fire rescue equipment equipment. With the landing checklist complete, a normal visual approach was completed and the aircraft landed without further incident. After visual inspection of the aircraft by the crash fire rescue equipment crew, the airplane was taxied to the gate. The passenger exited the aircraft via the jetbridge. Most passenger were calm and showed no signs of distress. As we were about to intercept the final approach course, I heard a loud explosion and noted the aircraft interior trim of the clear view window had been pushed toward my right shoulder. I heard a rush of air. I originally suspected a rapid depressurization and was looking for a cracked or broken window. I asked the captain if he wanted me to declare an emergency and he said yes. I called approach to declare the emergency and requested the crash fire rescue equipment crew. The captain said he was having a hard time controling the aircraft but later it was suspected that it was the turbulence and initial yaw of the bird strike. We configured the aircraft further and then spoke to the flight attendants to ascertain the situation of the passenger compartment. They reported no smoke, damage, or additional noises from the rear of the plane. I instructed them to prepare for an emergency landing and that we did not now the nature of the emergency but they had 1 min 30 seconds to prepare. The aircraft landed without further incident. After landing, I called to the back and asked if the situation had changed and they stated that a flight attendant (suspect a commuter or deadheader) in the back of the plane saw a bright flash from the right side of the plane. The captain then elected to shut down the right engine. We told them there would not be an emergency evacuate/evacuation and that we would go to the gate. The crash fire rescue equipment crew did not see any engine damage so the captain decided to taxi to the gate with the crash fire rescue equipment crew in trail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 BIRD STRIKE IN AREA OF R SIDE COCKPIT WINDOW ON ILS RWY 22L APCH TO EWR. FLT CREW DECLARES AN EMER AND MAKES AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG.

Narrative: ON NOV/SAT/03 AT APPROX XA15 HRS, FLT ZZZ TO EWR ENCOUNTERED A BIRD STRIKE AT 2500 FT, 2 MI W OF THE TEB VOR. THE FLT WAS JUST GIVEN THE TURN TO FINAL APCH COURSE AND CLRNC FOR THE ILS RWY 22L AT EWR WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSION WAS HEARD. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND A REQUEST WAS MADE FOR THE CFR EQUIP. WITH THE LNDG CHKLIST COMPLETE, A NORMAL VISUAL APCH WAS COMPLETED AND THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ACFT BY THE CFR CREW, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE GATE. THE PAX EXITED THE ACFT VIA THE JETBRIDGE. MOST PAX WERE CALM AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DISTRESS. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE, I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND NOTED THE ACFT INTERIOR TRIM OF THE CLR VIEW WINDOW HAD BEEN PUSHED TOWARD MY R SHOULDER. I HEARD A RUSH OF AIR. I ORIGINALLY SUSPECTED A RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION AND WAS LOOKING FOR A CRACKED OR BROKEN WINDOW. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED ME TO DECLARE AN EMER AND HE SAID YES. I CALLED APCH TO DECLARE THE EMER AND REQUESTED THE CFR CREW. THE CAPT SAID HE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME CTLING THE ACFT BUT LATER IT WAS SUSPECTED THAT IT WAS THE TURB AND INITIAL YAW OF THE BIRD STRIKE. WE CONFIGURED THE ACFT FURTHER AND THEN SPOKE TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO ASCERTAIN THE SIT OF THE PAX COMPARTMENT. THEY RPTED NO SMOKE, DAMAGE, OR ADDITIONAL NOISES FROM THE REAR OF THE PLANE. I INSTRUCTED THEM TO PREPARE FOR AN EMER LNDG AND THAT WE DID NOT NOW THE NATURE OF THE EMER BUT THEY HAD 1 MIN 30 SECONDS TO PREPARE. THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED TO THE BACK AND ASKED IF THE SIT HAD CHANGED AND THEY STATED THAT A FLT ATTENDANT (SUSPECT A COMMUTER OR DEADHEADER) IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE SAW A BRIGHT FLASH FROM THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE. THE CAPT THEN ELECTED TO SHUT DOWN THE R ENG. WE TOLD THEM THERE WOULD NOT BE AN EMER EVAC AND THAT WE WOULD GO TO THE GATE. THE CFR CREW DID NOT SEE ANY ENG DAMAGE SO THE CAPT DECIDED TO TAXI TO THE GATE WITH THE CFR CREW IN TRAIL.

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.