What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight crew experienced an exceptionally long taxi sequence involving multiple reroutes, requiring them to shut down an engine and restart it just minutes prior to departure. Once cleared, the first officer (fo), acting as the pilot flying, executed a normal takeoff.
As the aircraft climbed through approximately 7,000 feet, the captain was in the process of checking in on a new radio frequency when the crew heard a distinct impact against the airframe. The captain immediately asked the fo if he had seen anything out the window. The fo reported that he believed they had struck a drone. He explained that in the split second before the collision, he had caught a glimpse of what appeared to be artificial lights. Because drones are increasingly common airspace hazards and are often equipped with bright led strobes, anti-collision beacons, or navigation lights, the sudden, brilliant flash of light at a high closure rate strongly suggested a collision with an illuminated, unmanned aerial system rather than wildlife.
The fo asked if they should declare the strike. The captain subsequently reported the incident to New York center. Because all engine and flight instruments showed no abnormal indications, the crew made the decision to continue to their destination.
The flight proceeded normally. Later in the cruise phase, the fo reconsidered his initial assessment. He realized that because the aircraft was still below 10,000 feet at the time of the strike, their high-intensity landing lights had still been illuminated. He hypothesized that the "lights" he saw flashing just before impact were likely the aircraft's own powerful landing lights reflecting sharply off the wings or feathers of a bird, creating the momentary illusion of a self-illuminated mechanical object.
The flight concluded with an uneventful landing in fort lauderdale (fll). The fo's revised theory was confirmed during the standard post-flight exterior inspection when he discovered blood on the aircraft, verifying that the impact was indeed a bird strike. The flight crew then formally reported the incident to maintenance.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT CREW EXPERIENCED AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG TAXI SEQUENCE INVOLVING MULTIPLE REROUTES, REQUIRING THEM TO SHUT DOWN AN ENGINE AND RESTART IT JUST MINUTES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. ONCE CLEARED, THE FIRST OFFICER (FO), ACTING AS THE PILOT FLYING, EXECUTED A NORMAL TAKEOFF.
AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 7,000 FEET, THE CAPTAIN WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CHECKING IN ON A NEW RADIO FREQUENCY WHEN THE CREW HEARD A DISTINCT IMPACT AGAINST THE AIRFRAME. THE CAPTAIN IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE FO IF HE HAD SEEN ANYTHING OUT THE WINDOW. THE FO REPORTED THAT HE BELIEVED THEY HAD STRUCK A DRONE. HE EXPLAINED THAT IN THE SPLIT SECOND BEFORE THE COLLISION, HE HAD CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS. BECAUSE DRONES ARE INCREASINGLY COMMON AIRSPACE HAZARDS AND ARE OFTEN EQUIPPED WITH BRIGHT LED STROBES, ANTI-COLLISION BEACONS, OR NAVIGATION LIGHTS, THE SUDDEN, BRILLIANT FLASH OF LIGHT AT A HIGH CLOSURE RATE STRONGLY SUGGESTED A COLLISION WITH AN ILLUMINATED, UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM RATHER THAN WILDLIFE.
THE FO ASKED IF THEY SHOULD DECLARE THE STRIKE. THE CAPTAIN SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO NEW YORK CENTER. BECAUSE ALL ENGINE AND FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS SHOWED NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS, THE CREW MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE TO THEIR DESTINATION.
THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. LATER IN THE CRUISE PHASE, THE FO RECONSIDERED HIS INITIAL ASSESSMENT. HE REALIZED THAT BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL BELOW 10,000 FEET AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE, THEIR HIGH-INTENSITY LANDING LIGHTS HAD STILL BEEN ILLUMINATED. HE HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE "LIGHTS" HE SAW FLASHING JUST BEFORE IMPACT WERE LIKELY THE AIRCRAFT'S OWN POWERFUL LANDING LIGHTS REFLECTING SHARPLY OFF THE WINGS OR FEATHERS OF A BIRD, CREATING THE MOMENTARY ILLUSION OF A SELF-ILLUMINATED MECHANICAL OBJECT.
THE FLIGHT CONCLUDED WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING IN FORT LAUDERDALE (FLL). THE FO'S REVISED THEORY WAS CONFIRMED DURING THE STANDARD POST-FLIGHT EXTERIOR INSPECTION WHEN HE DISCOVERED BLOOD ON THE AIRCRAFT, VERIFYING THAT THE IMPACT WAS INDEED A BIRD STRIKE. THE FLIGHT CREW THEN FORMALLY REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MAINTENANCE.