Narrative:

Just after takeoff, I called for 'gear up.' I heard a loud bang with evidence on the co-pilot's windscreen that we hit a bird. We immediately informed tower that we had encountered a bird strike and were returning to land. After landing, we taxied in, got out and inspected the aircraft. There was a small dent on the nose (avionics bay metal panel on co-pilot's side of aircraft). I telephoned my chief pilot, explained the situation and informed him that I was confident that the aircraft was safe to fly. He informed me that if I felt it was safe to fly, I was legal to complete the trip. I completed the trip, then returned to home base. During the completion of the trip, I thought about the events and felt uncomfortable about not entering the bird strike in the aircraft log. I spoke to our maintenance manager. He informed me that I was required by FAA regulations to write up the bird strike. This should have been done at mmu, where the strike occurred. Then a mechanic would have inspected the dent to determine its airworthiness and signed it off if it passed. As it turned out, our maintenance found another bird carcass embedded inside the right wheel well behind the gear door. Apparently, a second bird hit after the gear retracted, but before the inbound gear door closed. This strike was undetected from visual walkaround inspection. Upon taxiing out, I noticed an amber light on indicating we had a valve position open, with a switch position closed. I called our maintenance department. They informed me that it was ok to go with this problem. I found out later, after returning, that this valve is located in the right wheel well where the bird struck. If I had written up the strike at mmu, a mechanic would have had to inspect the aircraft and knowing about the disagreement light, probably would have inspected the right wheel well suspecting something, and properly ground the aircraft or sign it off. I thought I only needed to write up discrepancies that were mechanical in nature and not MEL'able. A lesson was well learned. Next time I will write up any and all discrepancies. Also, if I get 1 bird strike, I will inspect the entire aircraft. 'Birds of a feather flock together.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LJ35 EXPERIENCE BIRD STRIKE ON TKOF FROM MMU. FAILED TO ENTER INTO MAINT LOG OR GET APPROPRIATE INSPECTION.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF, I CALLED FOR 'GEAR UP.' I HEARD A LOUD BANG WITH EVIDENCE ON THE CO-PLT'S WINDSCREEN THAT WE HIT A BIRD. WE IMMEDIATELY INFORMED TWR THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED A BIRD STRIKE AND WERE RETURNING TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, WE TAXIED IN, GOT OUT AND INSPECTED THE ACFT. THERE WAS A SMALL DENT ON THE NOSE (AVIONICS BAY METAL PANEL ON CO-PLT'S SIDE OF ACFT). I TELEPHONED MY CHIEF PLT, EXPLAINED THE SIT AND INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO FLY. HE INFORMED ME THAT IF I FELT IT WAS SAFE TO FLY, I WAS LEGAL TO COMPLETE THE TRIP. I COMPLETED THE TRIP, THEN RETURNED TO HOME BASE. DURING THE COMPLETION OF THE TRIP, I THOUGHT ABOUT THE EVENTS AND FELT UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT NOT ENTERING THE BIRD STRIKE IN THE ACFT LOG. I SPOKE TO OUR MAINT MGR. HE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS REQUIRED BY FAA REGS TO WRITE UP THE BIRD STRIKE. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AT MMU, WHERE THE STRIKE OCCURRED. THEN A MECH WOULD HAVE INSPECTED THE DENT TO DETERMINE ITS AIRWORTHINESS AND SIGNED IT OFF IF IT PASSED. AS IT TURNED OUT, OUR MAINT FOUND ANOTHER BIRD CARCASS EMBEDDED INSIDE THE R WHEEL WELL BEHIND THE GEAR DOOR. APPARENTLY, A SECOND BIRD HIT AFTER THE GEAR RETRACTED, BUT BEFORE THE INBOUND GEAR DOOR CLOSED. THIS STRIKE WAS UNDETECTED FROM VISUAL WALKAROUND INSPECTION. UPON TAXIING OUT, I NOTICED AN AMBER LIGHT ON INDICATING WE HAD A VALVE POS OPEN, WITH A SWITCH POS CLOSED. I CALLED OUR MAINT DEPT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS OK TO GO WITH THIS PROB. I FOUND OUT LATER, AFTER RETURNING, THAT THIS VALVE IS LOCATED IN THE R WHEEL WELL WHERE THE BIRD STRUCK. IF I HAD WRITTEN UP THE STRIKE AT MMU, A MECH WOULD HAVE HAD TO INSPECT THE ACFT AND KNOWING ABOUT THE DISAGREEMENT LIGHT, PROBABLY WOULD HAVE INSPECTED THE R WHEEL WELL SUSPECTING SOMETHING, AND PROPERLY GND THE ACFT OR SIGN IT OFF. I THOUGHT I ONLY NEEDED TO WRITE UP DISCREPANCIES THAT WERE MECHANICAL IN NATURE AND NOT MEL'ABLE. A LESSON WAS WELL LEARNED. NEXT TIME I WILL WRITE UP ANY AND ALL DISCREPANCIES. ALSO, IF I GET 1 BIRD STRIKE, I WILL INSPECT THE ENTIRE ACFT. 'BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER.'

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.