20031013034719I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing 737490 · Sitka, AK · October 13, 2003

Date: October 13, 2003 · 19:26 local
Place: Sitka, AK
Airport: Sitka
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: ASAA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N793AS
Reported as: Boeing 737490
Reported engine: GE CFM56*

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) During takeoff, at approximately vr, a seagull was noticed going down the left side of the aircraft. Ingestion into the #1 engine was then verified by a 5% reduction in N1 for approximately 5 minutes the RPM returning to normal. A go-around and landing was completed without further event. The airframe was inspected with no damage found. Inspection and boroscope of #1 engine revealed damage to #1 fan blades. Damaged blades were replaced, engine runs completed and aircraft was returned to service.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING TAKEOFF, AT APPROXIMATELY VR, A SEAGULL WAS NOTICED GOING DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. INGESTION INTO THE #1 ENGINE WAS THEN VERIFIED BY A 5% REDUCTION IN N1 FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES THE RPM RETURNING TO NORMAL. A GO-AROUND AND LANDING WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. THE AIRFRAME WAS INSPECTED WITH NO DAMAGE FOUND. INSPECTION AND BOROSCOPE OF #1 ENGINE REVEALED DAMAGE TO #1 FAN BLADES. DAMAGED BLADES WERE REPLACED, ENGINE RUNS COMPLETED AND AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.