SAS B734 at Copenhagen on Jul 23rd 2013, bird strike

Last Update: April 4, 2014 / 15:54:36 GMT/Zulu time

Bookmark this article
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jul 23, 2013

Classification
Incident

Cause
Bird strike

Airline
SAS Scandinavian Airlines

Aircraft Registration
LN-BRE

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-400

ICAO Type Designator
B734

Denmark's Havarikommissionen (HCL) released their final report concluding the probable cause was:

The serious incident was caused by a birdstrike to the left engine.

One or more Common Shelducks damaged the left air intake duct and the engine fan which resulted in abnormal vibrations and a fuel leak from the left engine.

A contributing factor to the serious incident was:

As a result of the altitude AGL of the birds, it was not possible for EKCH’s Wildlife Control Unit to observe and act against the flock of migrating Common Shelducks.

The HCL reported that the remains of a Common Shelduck were found on the runway with injuries consistent with an impact with an aircraft. DNA testing confirmed the remains inside the engine of the aircraft were of a Common Shelduck.

The HCL analysed, that the crew had no time to react when they sighted the flock of migratory Common Shelducks. Due to the height at which the birds were flying, the Wildlife Control Unit hunters could not observe the migrating birds, too.

A duck impacted the left hand engine causing fan blade tip damage and engine vibrations caused by the resulting fan disc imbalance. The fan blade tip damage caused further damage to the air intake and increasing vibrations.

The HCL stated: "The AIB DK is of the opinion that in case a birdstrike results in abnormal engine vibrations, it should be considered to shut down the engine to prevent further damage. Obviously considering that the remaining flight – single engine – can safely be performed. The reason for this is that it is unknown how a damaged engine will behave. In this case, the birdstrike caused a fuel leak from the damaged engine. However, the AIB DK finds it appropriate to have the damaged engine running as a safety precaution because except for the vibration level the flight crew did not observe abnormal engine indications."
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jul 23, 2013

Classification
Incident

Cause
Bird strike

Airline
SAS Scandinavian Airlines

Aircraft Registration
LN-BRE

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-400

ICAO Type Designator
B734

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source

You can read 2 more free articles without a subscription.

Subscribe now and continue reading without any limits!

Subscribe now
Are you a subscriber? Login
Subscribe

Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.

Compare our plans

Send tip

Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.

Send tip

Related articles

Newest articles

Subscribe today

Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.

Pick your plan and subscribe

Partner

ELITE Logo

ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.

SafetyScan Pro

SafetyScan Pro provides streamlined access to thousands of aviation accident reports. Tailored for your safety management efforts. Book your demo today

AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320
Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American Airlines
United
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways