Narrative:

I was the PF. On takeoff from aty; about 50 ft AGL; encountered a flock of gulls. We heard 3 or 4 loud thumps and could clearly see the birds in our path. It was difficult to avoid. Continued normal climb out. Decided to make a precautionary landing back at watertown; sd. We did not declare an emergency with ZMP. Engine parameters seemed normal. During the return to aty; on the captain's side; I did not see any damage to the engine; propeller; or wing while looking out the window. The first officer could see a lot of blood on the leading edge of the right side wing; but no visible damage to the engine; propeller; or wing. While coming back in for a landing in aty; we landed on the same runway that we had departed off (runway 12). Dead bird carcasses were everywhere on the runway. After we had landed; the airport manager went to inspect and clean the runway. He counted 34 dead gulls on or near the runway. The majority of the damage was on the nose. The nose cone; radome had a large dent (approximately 10 inches long; and 4 inches deep). It appeared as if a basketball had hit the nose of the airplane. Before we rolled onto the runway to depart aty; we waited for another airplane to land on runway 17. I was watching to see if any birds would appear during his landing rollout. I did not see any flocks of birds during his landing and taxi. I did not see any birds on the runway while taxiing onto runway 12 for our departure. The first officer also did not see any birds in our vicinity as well. The previous night (while landing in aty) the first officer and myself had a discussion about his last 2 flts to aty. He had encountered (and had a near miss) with a flock of gulls that morning. He mentioned the use of a shotgun by the airport manager to scare the birds away. I have also noticed the high number of birds at the aty airport from previous flts. When we landed in aty on aug/xa/08; there was a large gathering of birds (40-50) on the ramp while we were taxiing in to the ramp. The noise of our aircraft scared the birds away. The birds flew away from the direction of the runways. The employees at the aty station have noticed the large population of birds near the airport. They mentioned that it is a common problem at the airport. They were not surprised that we had a bird strike. The bird population needs to be addressed at the aty airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT SUFFERS MULTIPLE BIRD STRIKES ON TKOF FROM ATY.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF. ON TKOF FROM ATY; ABOUT 50 FT AGL; ENCOUNTERED A FLOCK OF GULLS. WE HEARD 3 OR 4 LOUD THUMPS AND COULD CLEARLY SEE THE BIRDS IN OUR PATH. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO AVOID. CONTINUED NORMAL CLBOUT. DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG BACK AT WATERTOWN; SD. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER WITH ZMP. ENG PARAMETERS SEEMED NORMAL. DURING THE RETURN TO ATY; ON THE CAPT'S SIDE; I DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE TO THE ENG; PROP; OR WING WHILE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW. THE FO COULD SEE A LOT OF BLOOD ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE R SIDE WING; BUT NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE ENG; PROP; OR WING. WHILE COMING BACK IN FOR A LNDG IN ATY; WE LANDED ON THE SAME RWY THAT WE HAD DEPARTED OFF (RWY 12). DEAD BIRD CARCASSES WERE EVERYWHERE ON THE RWY. AFTER WE HAD LANDED; THE ARPT MGR WENT TO INSPECT AND CLEAN THE RWY. HE COUNTED 34 DEAD GULLS ON OR NEAR THE RWY. THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS ON THE NOSE. THE NOSE CONE; RADOME HAD A LARGE DENT (APPROX 10 INCHES LONG; AND 4 INCHES DEEP). IT APPEARED AS IF A BASKETBALL HAD HIT THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. BEFORE WE ROLLED ONTO THE RWY TO DEPART ATY; WE WAITED FOR ANOTHER AIRPLANE TO LAND ON RWY 17. I WAS WATCHING TO SEE IF ANY BIRDS WOULD APPEAR DURING HIS LNDG ROLLOUT. I DID NOT SEE ANY FLOCKS OF BIRDS DURING HIS LNDG AND TAXI. I DID NOT SEE ANY BIRDS ON THE RWY WHILE TAXIING ONTO RWY 12 FOR OUR DEP. THE FO ALSO DID NOT SEE ANY BIRDS IN OUR VICINITY AS WELL. THE PREVIOUS NIGHT (WHILE LNDG IN ATY) THE FO AND MYSELF HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT HIS LAST 2 FLTS TO ATY. HE HAD ENCOUNTERED (AND HAD A NEAR MISS) WITH A FLOCK OF GULLS THAT MORNING. HE MENTIONED THE USE OF A SHOTGUN BY THE ARPT MGR TO SCARE THE BIRDS AWAY. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THE HIGH NUMBER OF BIRDS AT THE ATY ARPT FROM PREVIOUS FLTS. WHEN WE LANDED IN ATY ON AUG/XA/08; THERE WAS A LARGE GATHERING OF BIRDS (40-50) ON THE RAMP WHILE WE WERE TAXIING IN TO THE RAMP. THE NOISE OF OUR ACFT SCARED THE BIRDS AWAY. THE BIRDS FLEW AWAY FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE RWYS. THE EMPLOYEES AT THE ATY STATION HAVE NOTICED THE LARGE POPULATION OF BIRDS NEAR THE ARPT. THEY MENTIONED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROB AT THE ARPT. THEY WERE NOT SURPRISED THAT WE HAD A BIRD STRIKE. THE BIRD POPULATION NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AT THE ATY ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.