Narrative:

On climb out of ZZZ, struck a bird in the vicinity of left engine. Captain radioed operations and advised he was air interrupting back for maintenance inspection. Operations contacted me and notified me of diversion. I in turn notified equipment coordination and maintenance. Captain radioed dispatch and advised air interrupting due to bird strike in left engine. No emergency declared and all system indicated normal at that time. Also advised 10 mins until landing. I forwarded information to equipment coordination and maintenance operational controller. Equipment coordination and maintenance operational controller came to my desk and started questioning me about why I did not xfer call to maintenance operational controller. I advised maintenance operational controller while captain was performing safety checklist and trying to coordination landing with ATC. Maintenance operational controller advised me that flight could have, and should have, continued on to ord. Equipment coordination also stated that flight should have continued to ord. I again advised maintenance operational controller and equipment coordination that per flight manual, if bird strike is into an engine, propeller, nacelle or a wing leading edge that is in line with an engine or nacelle, or it is determined that the strike may affect airworthiness of the aircraft, an aml discrepancy must be made and a technician must inspect the aircraft and validate the entry prior to further flight. ZZZ is a maintenance base and could accomplish inspection. I agreed with captain and felt extreme pressure from maintenance operational controller and equipment coordination to continue flight when I did not feel it was safe to do so. After landing, captain called me and advised that he had engine vibrations in-flight and maintenance found damage on left engine blades.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ CREW RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT AFTER A BIRD STRIKE AND ENG DAMAGE TO THE #1 ENG. THE ACR MAINT CTLR SAID THE CREW SHOULD HAVE FLOWN TO DEST.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT OF ZZZ, STRUCK A BIRD IN THE VICINITY OF L ENG. CAPT RADIOED OPS AND ADVISED HE WAS AIR INTERRUPTING BACK FOR MAINT INSPECTION. OPS CONTACTED ME AND NOTIFIED ME OF DIVERSION. I IN TURN NOTIFIED EQUIP COORD AND MAINT. CAPT RADIOED DISPATCH AND ADVISED AIR INTERRUPTING DUE TO BIRD STRIKE IN L ENG. NO EMER DECLARED AND ALL SYS INDICATED NORMAL AT THAT TIME. ALSO ADVISED 10 MINS UNTIL LNDG. I FORWARDED INFO TO EQUIP COORD AND MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR. EQUIP COORD AND MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR CAME TO MY DESK AND STARTED QUESTIONING ME ABOUT WHY I DID NOT XFER CALL TO MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR. I ADVISED MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR WHILE CAPT WAS PERFORMING SAFETY CHKLIST AND TRYING TO COORD LNDG WITH ATC. MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR ADVISED ME THAT FLT COULD HAVE, AND SHOULD HAVE, CONTINUED ON TO ORD. EQUIP COORD ALSO STATED THAT FLT SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO ORD. I AGAIN ADVISED MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR AND EQUIP COORD THAT PER FLT MANUAL, IF BIRD STRIKE IS INTO AN ENG, PROP, NACELLE OR A WING LEADING EDGE THAT IS IN LINE WITH AN ENG OR NACELLE, OR IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE STRIKE MAY AFFECT AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT, AN AML DISCREPANCY MUST BE MADE AND A TECHNICIAN MUST INSPECT THE ACFT AND VALIDATE THE ENTRY PRIOR TO FURTHER FLT. ZZZ IS A MAINT BASE AND COULD ACCOMPLISH INSPECTION. I AGREED WITH CAPT AND FELT EXTREME PRESSURE FROM MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR AND EQUIP COORD TO CONTINUE FLT WHEN I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO. AFTER LNDG, CAPT CALLED ME AND ADVISED THAT HE HAD ENG VIBRATIONS INFLT AND MAINT FOUND DAMAGE ON L ENG BLADES.

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.