# Incident 20030108000499I: Bombdr DHC8401, Medford, OR, January 8, 2003 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 8, 2003, 18:35 local time - Place: Medford, OR - Airport: Medford-Jackson County - Damage: Substantial damage - Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121) - Operator: QXEA - Location: 42.4469° N, 122.8606° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4469&lon=-122.8606&mi=10 - Aircraft: N409QX, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N409QX-2019-06-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bombardier DHC-8-402 (registry code 1390042, https://openairdocs.org/model/bombardier-dhc-8-402) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A (registry code 52167, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw150a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOMBDR DHC8401 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA03FA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03FA024) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030108000499I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB SEA03FA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03FA024), Jan 9, 2003: Bombardier DHC-8-401 (N409QX), Medford, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fracture and spalling of the inner-most pane of the aircraft's port side windshield while on a downwind for a night visual approach due to an imposed load beyond that required for windshield… ## Other reports on N409QX (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20070312002529I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070312002529I), Mar 12, 2007: Bombdr DHC8402 (N409QX), Portland, OR, Minor damage. (-23) On March 12, 2007 at 1430, horizon air, qxea, aircraft N409QX was parked at gate A6 at Portland International Airport (pdx). After the 74 passengers were… - [Incident 20040206001399I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040206001399I), Feb 6, 2004: Bombdr DHC8401 (N409QX), Great Falls, MT. (-23) After takeoff from helena, Montana at cruise altitude the aircraft experienced a partial deployment of the right inboard roll spoiler. On final approach… - [Incident 20030929026409I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030929026409I), Sep 29, 2003: Bombdr DHC8401 (N409QX), Seattle, WA, Minor damage. (-23) Horizon airline flight 2376 located on spot two at seatac int. Airport in Seattle Washington at approximately 1400 local time was struck by a passenger… - [Incident 20030913024469I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030913024469I), Sep 13, 2003: Bombdr DHC8401 (N409QX), Butte, MT, Minor damage. (-23) Horizon flt. 2350 seattle, Washington (sea) to Butte, Montana (btm) on 09/13/03 at approximately 2340 MDT, landed at btm and struck a deer on rollout.… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.