Delta B767 in multiple bird strike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: leafy suburbs
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Delta B767 in multiple bird strike
A Delta Airlines B767 had a multiple bird strike on take off from FCO.
(7 July 07)
Both engines were struck by seagulls. Some of the right engine fan blades had large chunks taken out. The left engine had many fan blades damaged at midway along the blade leading edge.
The noise on take off was extremely loud, sounding like a large piston powered aircraft flying low overhead.
The aircraft dumped some fuel before returning to FCO. Bird strike evidence on cockpit window, right engine nose cowl, bird remnants on right outboard leading edge slat and right main undercarriage. The main gear struts were deflated.
I say a very well done to the flight crew for what must have been a nerve wracking flight
I certainly had my fingers crossed for a safe outcome.
(7 July 07)
Both engines were struck by seagulls. Some of the right engine fan blades had large chunks taken out. The left engine had many fan blades damaged at midway along the blade leading edge.
The noise on take off was extremely loud, sounding like a large piston powered aircraft flying low overhead.
The aircraft dumped some fuel before returning to FCO. Bird strike evidence on cockpit window, right engine nose cowl, bird remnants on right outboard leading edge slat and right main undercarriage. The main gear struts were deflated.
I say a very well done to the flight crew for what must have been a nerve wracking flight
I certainly had my fingers crossed for a safe outcome.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: France
Posts: 2,315
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by MarcJF
All in a days work for a trained crew, I'd have thought?
Multiple birdstrikes are NOT funny.
Thanks, keel beam. Any more info? Sounds like a double engine change for a start. Hat off to the crew.
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: 58-33N. 00-18W. Peterborough UK
Posts: 3,040
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Deleted my pointless response to a 767 with both engines damaged on take-off being 'all in a days work'. Quite right Christiaan.
Last edited by forget; 9th Jul 2007 at 21:11.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wor Yerm
Age: 68
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"FCO for all of us domestic us pilots is: ROME, Leonardo Da Vinci"
But known as Roma Fiumicino to the rest of the World. Bet the flight deck tucked their trousers into their socks when they walked out.
PM
But known as Roma Fiumicino to the rest of the World. Bet the flight deck tucked their trousers into their socks when they walked out.
PM
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Wirral
Age: 41
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"All in a days work for a trained crew, I'd have thought?"
Can I ask why there is such a negative response to this comment? Im not a pilot but surely the professional pilots out there train intensively to be able to handle emergency situations? I don't think it is a derogatory remark at all. I think it should be recieved as a compliment that we expect our pilots to be so highly trained and so capable of handling such situations. I certainly do. I pay enough money for my flights to expect this!
Is it too much to expect someone to be able to carry out the job they are being payed for when the going gets tough. Pilots do carry out a very skilled job where there is very little response time to make a decision but don't get above your stations please!
Slinks
Can I ask why there is such a negative response to this comment? Im not a pilot but surely the professional pilots out there train intensively to be able to handle emergency situations? I don't think it is a derogatory remark at all. I think it should be recieved as a compliment that we expect our pilots to be so highly trained and so capable of handling such situations. I certainly do. I pay enough money for my flights to expect this!
Is it too much to expect someone to be able to carry out the job they are being payed for when the going gets tough. Pilots do carry out a very skilled job where there is very little response time to make a decision but don't get above your stations please!
Slinks
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hong Kong
Age: 60
Posts: 491
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Slinks
Let me help you out with a good analogy if you are having difficulty understanding.
Soldiers train hard so they know what to do when they get shot at. It doesn't make the actual experience any less traumatic.
Now to stretch the analogy,
There's a big difference being shot at by a single gunman, and being caught in a long linear ambush on the Fallujah bypass....
Let me help you out with a good analogy if you are having difficulty understanding.
Soldiers train hard so they know what to do when they get shot at. It doesn't make the actual experience any less traumatic.
Now to stretch the analogy,
There's a big difference being shot at by a single gunman, and being caught in a long linear ambush on the Fallujah bypass....
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 2,044
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Varied comments above about whether we "are trained" for such an event, or not 
So most posters posing the question are not Professional Pilots I suspect 
The article / original post states
However, we have no indication of the symptons / indications to the Flt Crew.
I can assure the readers, that I as an Airline Capt with an "EU Major", on twin jets, do not train for such a scenario. We train for either a single engine failure (a lot!), or occasionally for an "at altitude" double engine failure. We do not have a scenario where 1 engine is dead, and the other half dead etc.
Maybe other airlines do, but the scenario related to seems "out of the book". I am sure the crew, if presented with multiple engine problems, dealt with it well. However, to say they were "trained for this (specific) situation" seems somewhat unlikely
So most posters posing the question are not Professional Pilots I suspect The article / original post states
Some of the right engine fan blades had large chunks taken out. The left engine had many fan blades damaged at midway along the blade leading edge
I can assure the readers, that I as an Airline Capt with an "EU Major", on twin jets, do not train for such a scenario. We train for either a single engine failure (a lot!), or occasionally for an "at altitude" double engine failure. We do not have a scenario where 1 engine is dead, and the other half dead etc.
Maybe other airlines do, but the scenario related to seems "out of the book". I am sure the crew, if presented with multiple engine problems, dealt with it well. However, to say they were "trained for this (specific) situation" seems somewhat unlikely
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Wirral
Age: 41
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NigelOnDraft, thankyou... your post makes it clear that this is certainly a situation out of the ordinary and not something that has been trained for. Don't get me wrong I believe there is still a tremendous amount of skill and an amazing ability to make decisions under pressure involved even if a pilot has been trained for this scenario. I do believe that if someone goes into a job with these possible situations then he shouldnt go seeking recognition at every opportunity.
rmac, very good analogy. I have been in a live fire situation from close quarters in a pub alone in northern ireland and know for a fact that you cannot put such a situation down to training alone, the personality of the individual involved is the main factor in any situation. As you can probably tell, i didn't die.
NigelOnDraft gave the perfect answer to the statement "all in a days work" this is the internet, not everyone who reads these forums is a qualfied captain on 747s. Explaining the situation to the reading public does a hell of a lot more for the pilot community than taking a mightier than though position! rmac, Get off your high horse!
rmac, very good analogy. I have been in a live fire situation from close quarters in a pub alone in northern ireland and know for a fact that you cannot put such a situation down to training alone, the personality of the individual involved is the main factor in any situation. As you can probably tell, i didn't die.
NigelOnDraft gave the perfect answer to the statement "all in a days work" this is the internet, not everyone who reads these forums is a qualfied captain on 747s. Explaining the situation to the reading public does a hell of a lot more for the pilot community than taking a mightier than though position! rmac, Get off your high horse!
Rotate on this!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Aberdeen
Age: 64
Posts: 403
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"All in a days work for a trained crew, I'd have thought?"
Did anyone say.."Another day at the office"?
This is an EXTRA ordinary event..hats off etc but purleeeeeeeze with the 'another normal day' routine.
Did anyone say.."Another day at the office"?
This is an EXTRA ordinary event..hats off etc but purleeeeeeeze with the 'another normal day' routine.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SWE
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree that this is not a situation that we pilots normally train for, though I did once "land" an MD80 simulator with double engine failure.
However I must say that I expect every flight crew to do just what this crew did, that is to continue flying the aircraft until back on the ground again.
However I must say that I expect every flight crew to do just what this crew did, that is to continue flying the aircraft until back on the ground again.
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: England
Posts: 1,389
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some of the right engine fan blades had large chunks taken out. The left engine had many fan blades damaged at midway along the blade leading edge.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Sussex
Age: 82
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Surely we should be asking why so much engine damage was done by an encounter with a flock of birds. Flocks of gulls are not uncommon.
And the more curious of us will ask what the results of the engine bird ingestion certification tests looked like, and whether they match current knowledge of the bird threat.
And the more curious of us will ask what the results of the engine bird ingestion certification tests looked like, and whether they match current knowledge of the bird threat.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: United Arab Emirates
Age: 49
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
bravo
TO THE CREW: WELL DONE!
I would never like to face a situation like this,but it can happen.
My question is: has ever seen the crew anything upon lineup on the rwy ?
I would never like to face a situation like this,but it can happen.
My question is: has ever seen the crew anything upon lineup on the rwy ?
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Surely we should be asking why so much engine damage was done by an encounter with a flock of birds. Flocks of gulls are not uncommon.
The average wingspan of a gull is 58 inches. They can weigh up to one and a half kilos.
An encounter with a flock of gulls is no trivial matter.
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: LHR and beyond
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some of the right engine fan blades had large chunks taken out. The left engine had many fan blades damaged at midway along the blade leading edge.
The aircraft dumped some fuel before returning to FCO
either way well done to the flt crew