Narrative:

During climb at about 4500 ft MSL; a loud thud was heard below the cockpit. We suspected a bird strike. We checked pressurization; engines; hydraulics; and flight controls. All were normal. I then contacted the 'a' flight attendant; who stated that a compartment in the forward lavatory had opened and the contents had fallen out; causing a noise. I did not believe that this would have caused a noise as loud as the one we heard. As the first officer and I continued to discuss the incident; the possibility of a burst nosewheel tire camp up; due to the location of the noise being below the flight deck. We decided to have emergency equipment meet the flight upon our landing as a precaution. I used the ACARS to notify dispatch; and informed approach control of the possibility of a flat nosewheel and requested the equipment and the longest runway (runway 31L). I did not declare an emergency. I notified the flight attendants of our concern; told them we would be on the ground in 15-20 mins; and to prepare for a normal landing. I made a passenger PA explaining the situation and stating that the emergency equipment would be standing by as a precaution. I reviewed with the first officer the QRH procedure for a burst nosewheel tire. We lowered the landing gear early in the approach to make sure there was no problem with extension. The first officer made a stabilized approach; utilizing the ILS and a full flap confign. The touchdown and rollout were normal; as was the taxi back to the gate. After deplaning; we observed a small dent on the right fuselage below the first officer's side window just forward of the static ports; and bird remains along the fuselage; on the engine strut and on the leading edge of the wing between the engine and the fuselage. I debriefed the dispatcher and the airport fire chief; and entered the bird strike in the logbook.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE ON TAKE OFF.

Narrative: DURING CLB AT ABOUT 4500 FT MSL; A LOUD THUD WAS HEARD BELOW THE COCKPIT. WE SUSPECTED A BIRD STRIKE. WE CHKED PRESSURIZATION; ENGS; HYDS; AND FLT CTLS. ALL WERE NORMAL. I THEN CONTACTED THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT; WHO STATED THAT A COMPARTMENT IN THE FORWARD LAVATORY HAD OPENED AND THE CONTENTS HAD FALLEN OUT; CAUSING A NOISE. I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A NOISE AS LOUD AS THE ONE WE HEARD. AS THE FO AND I CONTINUED TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT; THE POSSIBILITY OF A BURST NOSEWHEEL TIRE CAMP UP; DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE NOISE BEING BELOW THE FLT DECK. WE DECIDED TO HAVE EMER EQUIP MEET THE FLT UPON OUR LNDG AS A PRECAUTION. I USED THE ACARS TO NOTIFY DISPATCH; AND INFORMED APCH CTL OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A FLAT NOSEWHEEL AND REQUESTED THE EQUIP AND THE LONGEST RWY (RWY 31L). I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. I NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF OUR CONCERN; TOLD THEM WE WOULD BE ON THE GND IN 15-20 MINS; AND TO PREPARE FOR A NORMAL LNDG. I MADE A PAX PA EXPLAINING THE SITUATION AND STATING THAT THE EMER EQUIP WOULD BE STANDING BY AS A PRECAUTION. I REVIEWED WITH THE FO THE QRH PROC FOR A BURST NOSEWHEEL TIRE. WE LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR EARLY IN THE APCH TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO PROB WITH EXTENSION. THE FO MADE A STABILIZED APCH; UTILIZING THE ILS AND A FULL FLAP CONFIGN. THE TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT WERE NORMAL; AS WAS THE TAXI BACK TO THE GATE. AFTER DEPLANING; WE OBSERVED A SMALL DENT ON THE R FUSELAGE BELOW THE FO'S SIDE WINDOW JUST FORWARD OF THE STATIC PORTS; AND BIRD REMAINS ALONG THE FUSELAGE; ON THE ENG STRUT AND ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING BTWN THE ENG AND THE FUSELAGE. I DEBRIEFED THE DISPATCHER AND THE ARPT FIRE CHIEF; AND ENTERED THE BIRD STRIKE IN THE LOGBOOK.

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.