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B737-500 ingests large bird in left engine shortly after takeoff. Returns to departure airport for inspection and repair.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 682124 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200512 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : smf.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : smf.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 682124 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : birds |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eng vib ind other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
On initial climb out from runway 16R smf; at 800 ft afe; we hit a bird. First officer was flying. Right as smf tower asked us to change to departure control; I saw a large white object fly by the left side of the fuselage. Immediately afterwards we heard a large pop and the left engine started vibrating. I told tower that we had hit a bird and then I switched to departure. All of the engine parameters were normal with the exception of the left engine vibration which was indicating 3.1. We leveled at 3000 ft. I told ATC that we needed to return to smf. I determined that we did not need to shut the engine down as it was working normally. We did not declare an emergency. We returned to the airport after talking to all appropriate people and performing all normal checklists to land uneventfully on runway 16R. The aircraft weighed 111.7 pounds; so the landing was overweight. Maintenance was notified. The air was smooth and the landing was very smooth. I deemed this the better option than to possibly have the engine degrade any further if we took the time to burn fuel down to maximum landing weight. After parking; upon inspection; the left engine had 4 fan blades damaged by a large bird.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-500 INGESTS LARGE BIRD IN L ENG SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. RETURNS TO DEP ARPT FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR.
Narrative: ON INITIAL CLBOUT FROM RWY 16R SMF; AT 800 FT AFE; WE HIT A BIRD. FO WAS FLYING. RIGHT AS SMF TWR ASKED US TO CHANGE TO DEP CTL; I SAW A LARGE WHITE OBJECT FLY BY THE L SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS WE HEARD A LARGE POP AND THE L ENG STARTED VIBRATING. I TOLD TWR THAT WE HAD HIT A BIRD AND THEN I SWITCHED TO DEP. ALL OF THE ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE L ENG VIBRATION WHICH WAS INDICATING 3.1. WE LEVELED AT 3000 FT. I TOLD ATC THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO SMF. I DETERMINED THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN AS IT WAS WORKING NORMALLY. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT AFTER TALKING TO ALL APPROPRIATE PEOPLE AND PERFORMING ALL NORMAL CHKLISTS TO LAND UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 16R. THE ACFT WEIGHED 111.7 LBS; SO THE LNDG WAS OVERWT. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED. THE AIR WAS SMOOTH AND THE LNDG WAS VERY SMOOTH. I DEEMED THIS THE BETTER OPTION THAN TO POSSIBLY HAVE THE ENG DEGRADE ANY FURTHER IF WE TOOK THE TIME TO BURN FUEL DOWN TO MAX LNDG WT. AFTER PARKING; UPON INSPECTION; THE L ENG HAD 4 FAN BLADES DAMAGED BY A LARGE BIRD.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.