What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight was planned as a routine IFR flight. During takeoff climb at approximately 2,300’ MSL, the pilot heard and felt an impact. He saw visible damage to the left wing leading edge but was unable to determine the extent of damage inflight, so the pilot declared an emergency and returned to the airport of origin. The pilot made an uneventful visual approach and landing, then cancelled IFR. Maintenance measured the dent on the leading edge of the left wing at 16 inches wide and approximately 1.5 inches deep. The damage was deemed minor by the NTSB. No injuries were sustained in the incident. The pilot reported the bird strike via the online FAA wildlife strike database; FAA form 5200-7.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT WAS PLANNED AS A ROUTINE IFR FLIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF CLIMB AT APPROXIMATELY 2,300’ MSL, THE PILOT HEARD AND FELT AN IMPACT. HE SAW VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE INFLIGHT, SO THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT OF ORIGIN. THE PILOT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APPROACH AND LANDING, THEN CANCELLED IFR. MAINTENANCE MEASURED THE DENT ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING AT 16 INCHES WIDE AND APPROXIMATELY 1.5 INCHES DEEP. THE DAMAGE WAS DEEMED MINOR BY THE NTSB. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED IN THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THE BIRD STRIKE VIA THE ONLINE FAA WILDLIFE STRIKE DATABASE; FAA FORM 5200-7.