# Incident 20260307001479I: Airbus A320-232, Fort Lauderdale, FL, March 7, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 7, 2026, 12:34 local time
- Place: Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Airport: Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: GTIA
- Location: 26.0717° N, 80.1497° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FORT LAUDERDALE/HOLLYWOOD INTL (FLL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.0717&lon=-80.1497&mi=10
- Aircraft: N694NK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N694NK) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Airbus A320-232 (registry code 3940004, https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-a320-232) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: IAE V2527-A5 (registry code 34604, https://openairdocs.org/engine/iae-v2527-a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRBUS A320-232
- Reported engine: IAE V2527-A5
- People aboard: 79
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260307001479I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (FLL), AT APPROXIMATELY 900 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), THE AIRBUS A320-232 OPERATED BY THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER (CH) EXPERIENCED A BIRD STRIKE ON ENGINE NUMBER 1, AN INTERNATIONAL AERO ENGINES (IAE) V2500 SERIES. THE FLIGHT CREW VISUALLY IDENTIFIED THE BIRD, BELIEVED TO BE A VULTURE, IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO IMPACT.

FOLLOWING THE STRIKE, ENGINE 1 EXHIBITED A TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN THRUST, WITH N1 DECREASING TO APPROXIMATELY 30%. THE ENGINE SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERED THRUST: HOWEVER, N1 VIBRATION LEVELS INCREASED TO APPROXIMATELY 3.5 UNITS. AFTER LEVELING OFF, VIBRATION LEVELS DECREASED AND STABILIZED.

THE FLIGHT CREW CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ALL ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT PARAMETERS. NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS WERE OBSERVED ASIDE FROM THE ELEVATED, BUT STABLE, N1 VIBRATION ON ENGINE 1. BASED ON AVAILABLE DATA AND STABLE ENGINE PERFORMANCE, THE CREW ELECTED TO CONTINUE OPERATING THE ENGINE.

AFTER ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION WITH DEPARTURE CONTROL, THE FLIGHT CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AS A PRECAUTION DUE TO SUSPECTED ENGINE DAMAGE. NO ECAM MESSAGES WERE GENERATED FOLLOWING THE BIRD STRIKE; HOWEVER, THE POSSIBILITY OF STRUCTURAL OR INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE REMAINED.

FLIGHT CREW NOTIFIED COMPANY OPERATIONS, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE BRIEFED, AND PASSENGERS WERE INFORMED OF THE SITUATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH CH PROCEDURES.

FOLLOWING ARRIVAL PREPARATIONS, THE CREW ELECTED TO RETURN TO FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

EMERGENCY FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES, ALONG WITH AIRPORT OPERATIONS, MET THE AIRCRAFT UPON LANDING AND ESCORTED IT TO THE GATE. AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, ENGINE 1 WAS SHUT DOWN DURING TAXI. DURING TAXI OPERATIONS, FLAPS WERE MAINTAINED AT CONF 4 DUE TO UNCERTAINTY REGARDING POTENTIAL ENGINE DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE DEBRIS IMPACT ON AIRCRAFT SURFACES.

A POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED BY BOTH THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT AT LEAST FIVE FAN BLADES EXHIBITED BENDING DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH BIRD IMPACT. SUBSEQUENTLY, COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL CONDUCTED A FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE (FOD) INSPECTION ON ENGINE 1. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE DAMAGES EXCEEDED THE LIMITATIONS SPECIFIED IN THE MANUFACTURER’S MANUAL, NECESSITATING ENGINE REPLACEMENT. FOLLOWING THE REPLACEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE, AND NO FURTHER ISSUES WERE REPORTED.

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.

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