Primary finding
Probable cause
Bird strike.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The captain reported that about 5 miles north of the destination airport, at 3,000 ft mean sea level, the flight encountered a flock of birds. Due to the night lighting condition, the flight crew did not see the birds until they struck the airplane. The impact caused the captain’s primary flight display (PFD) to become unusable. The first officer’s PFD and the standby instruments continued to operate normally. The engines were not affected, and the flight landed without further incident. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the forward fuselage including a bulkhead, a frame, and the skin. Additional damage to the radome, right winglet, and vertical stabilizer was minor. Seven samples examined by the Smithsonian Feather Identification Lab were identified as being from Greater White-Fronted Geese.