Narrative:

On departing bridgeport/sikorsky airport a large flock of seagulls flew from right to left of the aircraft. One to two of the birds were ingested in the engine on rotation which resulted in an immediate flame out. We heard approximately 3-4 loud bangs. There were around 20 birds in the flock. I was the flying pilot and with the help of my first officer we immediately cleaned up the plane, secured the engine, declared an emergency and returned for a safe normal landing. No passengers were injured, but some emotionally shaken. Flight control was notified right away. The plane's right engine was written up as was an over maximum weight landing. This airport is very dangerous when the weather goes down as large flocks of birds use the wide open dry ground for refuge. Geese, ducks, and seagulls on and off the runways congregate. The airport has no room for aborted takeoff's in mid to large size turbine aircraft. An earthen dam is at one end and open water with rock lined shore at the other ends of runways. This airport should have an indepth safety study done and guidelines and recommendations be published for the commuter and corporate pilots flying out of bdr. Also VFR traffic cleared to land in front of turbine commuter aircraft on short final is also a problem. These VFR planes are smaller aircraft with half the approach speed required of the larger aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT BIRD STRIKE ON TKOF FROM BRD.

Narrative: ON DEPARTING BRIDGEPORT/SIKORSKY AIRPORT A LARGE FLOCK OF SEAGULLS FLEW FROM RIGHT TO LEFT OF THE ACFT. ONE TO TWO OF THE BIRDS WERE INGESTED IN THE ENGINE ON ROTATION WHICH RESULTED IN AN IMMEDIATE FLAME OUT. WE HEARD APPROXIMATELY 3-4 LOUD BANGS. THERE WERE AROUND 20 BIRDS IN THE FLOCK. I WAS THE FLYING PILOT AND WITH THE HELP OF MY F/O WE IMMEDIATELY CLEANED UP THE PLANE, SECURED THE ENGINE, DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED FOR A SAFE NORMAL LANDING. NO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED, BUT SOME EMOTIONALLY SHAKEN. FLIGHT CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED RIGHT AWAY. THE PLANE'S RIGHT ENGINE WAS WRITTEN UP AS WAS AN OVER MAX WT LANDING. THIS AIRPORT IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN THE WEATHER GOES DOWN AS LARGE FLOCKS OF BIRDS USE THE WIDE OPEN DRY GND FOR REFUGE. GEESE, DUCKS, AND SEAGULLS ON AND OFF THE RUNWAYS CONGREGATE. THE AIRPORT HAS NO ROOM FOR ABORTED TAKEOFF'S IN MID TO LARGE SIZE TURBINE ACFT. AN EARTHEN DAM IS AT ONE END AND OPEN WATER WITH ROCK LINED SHORE AT THE OTHER ENDS OF RUNWAYS. THIS AIRPORT SHOULD HAVE AN INDEPTH SAFETY STUDY DONE AND GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS BE PUBLISHED FOR THE COMMUTER AND CORPORATE PILOTS FLYING OUT OF BDR. ALSO VFR TFC CLRED TO LAND IN FRONT OF TURBINE COMMUTER ACFT ON SHORT FINAL IS ALSO A PROBLEM. THESE VFR PLANES ARE SMALLER ACFT WITH HALF THE APPROACH SPEED REQUIRED OF THE LARGER ACFT.

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