summary
- Bird strikes occur more often than expected, but they usually do not seriously affect flight.
- In this incident, an Airbus A320-200 experienced a double bird strike shortly after takeoff from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
- Despite engine damage, the aircraft was able to land safely and returned to commercial service two days later.
On January 26, 2024, an Airbus A320-200 suffered a double bird strike shortly after departing from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA), damaging both engines. The aircraft’s engine was damaged in the accident, but the plane was able to land safely shortly after takeoff.
No injuries were reported in the incident, and the aircraft was able to return to commercial service after being on the ground for just under two days. At the time, the aircraft was operating as Allegiant Flight 693, a regular nonstop service between Phoenix and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) in Iowa.
Details of the incident
The incident has been officially classified as minor, so it’s no surprise that few specific details have been released, especially as to why the plane encountered the bird and ultimately damaged its engine. It is.of Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) Platform Details were relatively sparse, saying the plane reported multiple bird strikes during its rotation.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
The report went on to show that the plane returned to Phoenix and landed safely without incident. Additionally, a post-landing inspection revealed that both engines had been damaged by a bird strike, requiring immediate attention from the airline’s maintenance team.
According to the analysis of the incident, aviation herald, the aircraft was departing from Mesa Airport’s Runway 30C before encountering the bird. The particular attack occurred after the jet reached an altitude of 6,000 feet, after which the plane descended rapidly and landed normally on the facility’s Runway 30L.
Photo: Artistic Activities | Shutterstock
Flight tracking details are also available on the website. flight aware It also shows that the aircraft reached an altitude of 6,000 feet before returning to IWA just 26 minutes after departure. In total, the aircraft flew only 77 miles and reached a top speed of just under 300 miles per hour.
bird strike
Although you might expect bird strikes to be rare events that have a significant impact on flight safety, they actually occur much more often than you might expect. In fact, the majority of bird strike accidents do not seriously affect passengers.
History of ultra-low-cost airline Allegiant
This airline has a history of over 20 years.
Nevertheless, a bird collision at certain moments, such as takeoff or landing, can cause serious damage to the engine, along with other parts of the aircraft, such as the windshield and nose cone. In most cases, the aircraft can safely make an emergency landing and maintenance teams can address the damage within a few days.
To prevent bird strikes from leading to potentially catastrophic accidents, manufacturers and regulators conduct numerous tests on new engines to ensure they can safely withstand foreign object ingestion. In most cases, aircraft engines can operate safely even when encountering objects much larger than a typical bird.
There have been several non-fatal bird collisions so far this year. Just two days ago, a Lufthansa Airbus A340 was forced to return to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), and a Southwest Airlines 737 MAX 8 encountered a similar situation and returned to New Orleans International Airport (BOS). MSY) was forced to reland.
