Homebuilt small aircraft suffers cowling and wing damage due to bird strike.

Attributes
ACN	756170
Time
Date	200710
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : eri.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : eri.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 1250
ASRS Report	756172
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : birds other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 968
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

I was approaching eri from the south and under the direction of erie tower. I was in approximately the position to turn a long base for runway 24. The tower asked me to keep it in close and to keep my speed up since there was other traffic on long final. As I turned left onto my base leg; I spotted a black vulture ahead at about my 11 O'clock position and about 50 ft above my altitude. My turn carried me under the bird and it dived. I swerved to my right and pulled back on the stick to avoid the diving bird. The bird appeared to go under the cowling but there was a loud bang. The engine was still running well and the plane was ctlable. I announced that I had a bird strike and was cleared to land. The tower asked if I wanted to fly by for an inspection. No damage was seen by the tower. I then flew a l-hand pattern and landed. A subsequent examination of the airplane showed that the l-hand side of the cowling was badly damaged and the leading edge of the left wing showed a large dent at a point about 8 inches outboard of the fuselage side. The leading edge of the wing at this point is the fuel tank. The tank skin was cracked and there was slight leakage of fuel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOMEBUILT SMA SUFFERS COWLING AND WING DAMAGE DUE TO BIRD STRIKE.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING ERI FROM THE S AND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ERIE TWR. I WAS IN APPROX THE POS TO TURN A LONG BASE FOR RWY 24. THE TWR ASKED ME TO KEEP IT IN CLOSE AND TO KEEP MY SPD UP SINCE THERE WAS OTHER TFC ON LONG FINAL. AS I TURNED L ONTO MY BASE LEG; I SPOTTED A BLACK VULTURE AHEAD AT ABOUT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE MY ALT. MY TURN CARRIED ME UNDER THE BIRD AND IT DIVED. I SWERVED TO MY R AND PULLED BACK ON THE STICK TO AVOID THE DIVING BIRD. THE BIRD APPEARED TO GO UNDER THE COWLING BUT THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING WELL AND THE PLANE WAS CTLABLE. I ANNOUNCED THAT I HAD A BIRD STRIKE AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE TWR ASKED IF I WANTED TO FLY BY FOR AN INSPECTION. NO DAMAGE WAS SEEN BY THE TWR. I THEN FLEW A L-HAND PATTERN AND LANDED. A SUBSEQUENT EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE SHOWED THAT THE L-HAND SIDE OF THE COWLING WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING SHOWED A LARGE DENT AT A POINT ABOUT 8 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE FUSELAGE SIDE. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING AT THIS POINT IS THE FUEL TANK. THE TANK SKIN WAS CRACKED AND THERE WAS SLIGHT LEAKAGE OF FUEL.

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.