Primary finding
Probable cause
The in-flight collision with a flock of birds during climb.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The regional jet collided with a flock of large birds shortly after takeoff as it climbed through 5,000 feet mean sea level. The flight crew reported that, although there were no observed flight control or engine anomalies, they elected to return to the departure airport and the captain subsequently completed an uneventful visual approach and landing. A postaccident examination of the airframe revealed substantial damage to the radar dome and its underlying structural components. The forward pressure bulkhead web contained a dent and puncture. The left engine compressor section exhibited damage that was consistent with a bird strike.
Source record
Factual narrative
On November 15, 2010, at 1145 central standard time, an Embraer ERJ 170-200 LR regional jet, registration number N604CZ, operated by Compass Airlines as flight 5887, collided with a flock of birds shortly after departing the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (KMSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. The airplane was substantially damaged during the collision with the birds. The pilot, co-pilot, two flight attendants, and 76 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 while on an instrument flight plan. The flight's intended destination was Missoula, Montana, but the flight diverted back to KMSP after the collision without further incident. According to a report filed by the operator, the flight had departed runway 30R and was climbing through 5,000 feet mean sea level at 250 knots when the airplane collided with a flock of large birds. The flight crew reported that after the collision there were no anomalies with the flight controls, but the autothrottle system had disengaged. The engine indication/crew alerting system (EICAS) indicated a failure of the forward cockpit voice recorder and forward flight data recorder. There were no engine or pressurization error codes reported by the EICAS. The first officer's primary flight display had alert flags for the indicated airspeed and altitude parameters. The flight crew elected to return to the departure airport since the extent of damage was unknown. The captain subsequently completed an uneventful visual approach and landing to runway 30L. A postaccident inspection of the airframe revealed substantial damage to the radar dome and its underlining structural components. The forward pressure bulkhead web contained a dent and puncture. The left engine compressor section exhibited damage that was consistent with a bird strike.