My engines digested a few B1RDs during my career. But one I will not forget.
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On takeoff at Lagos, route Luxembourg-Lagos-Johannesburg, cargo flight, type 747-246F (ex JAL), engines JT9D-7Q, registry 9G-MKI, operator MK Cargo, date NOV 2000, late morning.
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I was on a 3 months 747 pilot training contract with MK as this was their first 747. All trainees were experienced DC8 pilots. Aircraft T/O weight was somewhat heavy, probably about 350 tonnes. The trainee was FP for this sector. Good guy, we had flown 2 or 3 sectors together.
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We lined-up on the runway, takeoff South, to proceed overwater straight-out, no obstacles to clear. On the West side of the runway, a wooded area. I had noticed a "bird shooter" walking near the runway, with an old 12-gage on the shoulder.
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Cleared for takeoff, F/O advanced the power, "making noise" probably gave the "Nigerian Air Force B1RDs" a takeoff clearance as well. When we were at some 100-120 knots, I noticed a flock of big birds coming from the trees and crossing our runway. Too late, and by then too fast and too heavy to consider to reject takeoff. F/O rotated at VR, called GEAR UP and at same time, some 30 ft AGL, we hit the B1RD Nig.AF Squadron, they were mostly on our RH side. Boom, bang, feathers, vibrations, fire bell, red light...!
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As the F/O was flying perfectly and by the book, I did all PNF duties with the assistance of the F/E. Engine fire, then severe damage check-list, just telling the F/O "go straight, continue". I feared we lost 2 of the RH engines, but soon realized it was nš4 only. We discharged one fire bottle, N1 was very low, EGT rapidly decreasing... maybe some N2 windmilling indications.
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Initially, I considered continuing on 3 motors to Jo'Burg... good maintenance and probably spare engines there. F/O was busy increasing speed, calling flaps retraction step by step. We wanted V2+80 to get flaps up, but right around 200/220 knots the vibration got worse, shaking the plane.
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F/O looked through the window, he told me the nš4 engine was shaking up/down on the pylon, as well as the outer wing section flapping up/down as well. We had a ground engineer and loadmaster on board as well. So, going to Jo'Burg appeared impossible, and under any circumstances would I go back to Lagos. So we got MK's boss Mike Kruger on the phone through STO Radio. Bottom line was "proceed to Accra", about 45 minutes or so West...
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We flew there with Flaps 1, at about 200 KIAS, below FL200 as it is max FL with flaps not up. Engine and wing vibrated the entire time. I took the airplane for approach and landing into Accra. No further events.
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One thing I learned, in the bad damage of bird ingestion, the fan was seriously "out of balance" and caused the vibration when windmilling, making it impossible to reach flaps retraction speed, which was about 240 for us at that weight. End of story, we did a 3 engine ferry some 2 days later to Luxembourg to get another engine, with the fan "caged" to prevent windmilling (and vibrations) by cargo pallet straps attached through the blades. And I got a few beers to the F/O and F/E, they performed an excellent job.
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I have no bird casualty list, maybe got printed in the Lagos Times.
Happy contrails