Bird strike on aircraft engine
- Thread starter Ed Panek
- Start date
Randy
Super Moderator
How'd it hit the engine?
Was it under a cowling?
Was it big enough to penetrate into the engine compartment?
Did it hit the engine or just the prop?
Nothing smaller than a turkey is actually going to really damage a light aircraft engine like on a Cessna or Piper. Accessories, lines and stuff yeah, but the actual engine? Uh-uh.
Is it a turbine? If so, again did it just get hit or was the bird ingested? You could have compressor damage and probably damage to the power turbine blades. Big time inspection.
I've only been an A&P 35+ years so I'm just guessing. Pretty sure you'll find some experts here.
Was it under a cowling?
Was it big enough to penetrate into the engine compartment?
Did it hit the engine or just the prop?
Nothing smaller than a turkey is actually going to really damage a light aircraft engine like on a Cessna or Piper. Accessories, lines and stuff yeah, but the actual engine? Uh-uh.
Is it a turbine? If so, again did it just get hit or was the bird ingested? You could have compressor damage and probably damage to the power turbine blades. Big time inspection.
I've only been an A&P 35+ years so I'm just guessing. Pretty sure you'll find some experts here.
Last edited:
ChrisM
A little more than Quite Involved in Discussions
There have been a few cases in recent weeks of vultures being ingested into commercial jet engines in the Madrid area - this could be one of them? A vulture is a big, heavy bird.... I recall reading that they are about 3 or 4 times the size and weight of birds required for the engine certification tests and certainly they do not pass through the engine without causing more than a little damage.....
Randy
Super Moderator
OK, not sure if you're talking about the video or a personal encounter in either a light plane or commercial flight.
In the video, you're showing a high by-pass fan with definitely damaged inlet vanes. There very well could be some compressor blades damaged from ingesting the bird itself and pieces from the inlet vanes. A good majority of the "FOD" will have been ejected in the by-pass airflow. Compressor stall is a possibility for sure, but that would depend on the extent of the interior damage. The power turbine section could be damaged and may not, so only a detailed inspection will tell you that. Serious compressor stalls can actually damage engine mounts and maybe wing or fuselage attachment points and structure itself.
I experienced compressor stalls in a UH-1 that literally twisted the tail boom, damaged the tail boom attachment points on the main airframe, and damaged the transmission, 42 & 90 gearboxes, tail rotor blades. The fireball out of the exhaust burn paint all the way to the stinger. We landed safely but the bird had to be brought to the hanger by trailer.
Thanks Randy for your insight
ChrisM
A little more than Quite Involved in Discussions
...and given a funeral?
The UH-1 also had to be brought in by separate trailer??
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