The heroic, but ultimately futile, attempts by the avian community to fight back against powered intruders continue. In this terrible scene a single white bird, cautiously identified by somebody-or-other as a pelican, loses (just) a bill-to-radome skirmish with an Embraer EMB-145 of Expressjet / Continental Express at Salt Lake City.More seriously, birdstrikes remain firmly in the "accident waiting to happen" category. We have been very lucky so far but all the evidence is that the threat is increasing.
Or as the NTSB puts it:
On August 10, 2010, about 1340 mountain daylight time, an Embraer EMB-145XR, N14105, collided with a large bird while on a downwind for a visual approach to Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah. The two flight crew members, the two cabin crew members, and the 46 passengers were not injured, but the airplane, which was owned and operated by Express Jet, sustained substantial damage. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 scheduled passenger flight, which departed Houston-Bush Airport at 1154 central daylight time, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. The airplane was on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan.
According to the operator, while the airplane was on a downwind for a visual approach, it flew through a flock of large birds. One of the birds impacted the airplane near its nose, resulting in a section of skin about three feet long being folded back. The airplane was then landed successfully at Salt Lake International Airport. An individual who made an initial examination of the bird remains stated that he believed that the bird was a White Pelican.
On August 10, 2010, about 1340 mountain daylight time, an Embraer EMB-145XR, N14105, collided with a large bird while on a downwind for a visual approach to Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah. The two flight crew members, the two cabin crew members, and the 46 passengers were not injured, but the airplane, which was owned and operated by Express Jet, sustained substantial damage. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 scheduled passenger flight, which departed Houston-Bush Airport at 1154 central daylight time, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. The airplane was on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan.
According to the operator, while the airplane was on a downwind for a visual approach, it flew through a flock of large birds. One of the birds impacted the airplane near its nose, resulting in a section of skin about three feet long being folded back. The airplane was then landed successfully at Salt Lake International Airport. An individual who made an initial examination of the bird remains stated that he believed that the bird was a White Pelican.
on September 30, 2010 9:28 AM | Reply
So sad to see these images.One question,the radar cannot detect the presence of the birds?In such a case they should be able to avoid this accident.In the near future,they should pay more attention while flying as it could disastrous.