ANC02LA079

The scheduled air carrier flight had just lifted off the runway and started to climb, when it encountered a flock of birds. One or more of the birds struck the right wing of the airplane. The airplane continued to its destination, and landed without incident. About 6 feet of the right wing's leading edge, and 2 wing ribs were replaced due to the bird strike.

On July 13, 2002, about 1026 Alaska daylight time, a de Havilland DHC-6 airplane, N885EA, sustained substantial damage when it struck a bird during takeoff from Toksook Bay Airport, Toksook, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by ERA Aviation Inc., of Anchorage, Alaska, as Flight 4862, a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 121, at the time of the accident. The two crewmembers and the eleven passengers were not injured. The airplane was departing Toksook Bay en route to Bethel, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 16, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air safety inspector said he had issued a ferry permit for the accident airplane to return to the ERA maintenance facility in Anchorage. He said he inspected the damage to the accident airplane, and noted the repairs required the replacement of two ribs, and six feet of the leading edge of the right wing.

During a telephone conversation with the IIC on July 23, the director of operations for the operator said the pilot told him that during the initial climb, about 20 feet above the runway, the airplane encountered a flock of seagulls. The pilot told him that one of the seagulls struck the leading edge of the airplane's right wing. He said the airplane continued to its destination without further incident. The director of operations said he was only aware of one rib, and about six feet of the leading edge, being replaced as a result of the accident.