What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft experienced multiple bird (duck) strikes on downwind for landing. Nothe "other": privacy data omitted (.19) on January 8, 2003, approximately 1815 pacific standard time, a Bombardier DHC-8-401, N409QX, collided with an undetermined number of birds approximately four miles northeast of rogue valley international airport, Medford Oregon. The airline transport pilot in the left seat received serious injuries, but the first officer was uninjured. The flight attendant and the 29 passengers were not injured. The aircraft, which was being operated on a scheduled 14 CFR part 121 flight by horizon airlines, sustained substantial damage. The aircraft, which was on an IFR flight plan, departed seattle international airport about 50 minutes before the accident. According to the flight crew, who were approaching Medford on a clear dark night, while the aircraft was descending on an extended right downwind for runway 32, seven or eight large birds suddenly appeared in front of the aircraft. Before the flight crew could take any action, several of the birds impacted the nose of the aircraft and its windshield. The force of the impact shattered the inner-most pane of the windshield on the captain s side of the aircraft, and numerous small chunks of the glass hit the captain in the face and chest. The captain, who was cut by the glass in several places, turned control of the aircraft over to the first officer, who executed a successful landing at Medford about five minutes after the encounter. It was later determined that, in addition to the damage to the windshield, birds had penetrated the composite nose cone as well as the stressed metal skin immediately in front of the windshield.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE BIRD (DUCK) STRIKES ON DOWNWIND FOR LANDING. NOTHE "OTHER": ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (.19) ON JANUARY 8, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 1815 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BOMBARDIER DHC-8-401, N409QX, COLLIDED WITH AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF BIRDS APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES NORTHEAST OF ROGUE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MEDFORD OREGON. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, BUT THE FIRST OFFICER WAS UNINJURED. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND THE 29 PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS BEING OPERATED ON A SCHEDULED 14 CFR PART 121 FLIGHT BY HORIZON AIRLINES, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, DEPARTED SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ABOUT 50 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT CREW, WHO WERE APPROACHING MEDFORD ON A CLEAR DARK NIGHT, WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING ON AN EXTENDED RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 32, SEVEN OR EIGHT LARGE BIRDS SUDDENLY APPEARED IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. BEFORE THE FLIGHT CREW COULD TAKE ANY ACTION, SEVERAL OF THE BIRDS IMPACTED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ITS WINDSHIELD. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT SHATTERED THE INNER-MOST PANE OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE CAPTAIN S SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND NUMEROUS SMALL CHUNKS OF THE GLASS HIT THE CAPTAIN IN THE FACE AND CHEST. THE CAPTAIN, WHO WAS CUT BY THE GLASS IN SEVERAL PLACES, TURNED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO THE FIRST OFFICER, WHO EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL LANDING AT MEDFORD ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE ENCOUNTER. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD, BIRDS HAD PENETRATED THE COMPOSITE NOSE CONE AS WELL AS THE STRESSED METAL SKIN IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N409QX · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.