- Date
- October 12, 2007, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 74 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N368CABombardier CL-600-2C10
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20071012022949I
- Case key
- 66911
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the in-flight collision with geese shortly after takeoff.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was about 1,500 feet above the ground when it flew through a flock of about 30 geese. The crew heard 3 to 4 thuds, and then the right engine immediately began running rough. The captain declared an emergency and returned to the airport. An examination of the airplane showed damage to the right engine fan and dents along both leading edge wing slats. Approximately 1 hour before the accident, the airport's Automatic Terminal Information Service reported a "bird advisory."
Factual narrative
On October 12, 2007, approximately 1300 mountain daylight time, a Bombardier CL-600-2C10, N368CA, registered to and operated by Skywest Airlines as Flight 4021, and piloted by an airline transport-certificated pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with a flock of birds shortly after taking off from Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed and activated. The captain, first officer, 2 flight attendants, and 70 passengers on board the airplane were not injured. The cross-country flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Salt Lake City (SLC) International Airport, Utah.
The captain reported they were about 1,500 feet above the ground when they saw a large flock of about 30 geese coming towards them. She said they heard 3 to 4 thuds, and then the right engine immediately began running rough. The VIB gauge was fluctuating rapidly from one extreme to the other. The captain declared an emergency and returned to DEN, landing uneventfully. An examination of the airplane showed damage to the right engine fan and dents along both wing leading edge slats. The left slat had to be replaced.
The DEN 1155 ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) gave a "bird advisory."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N368CA
- Reported as
- Bombardier CL-600-2C10
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10075
- Airframe hours
- 12,731
- Engines
- General Electric CF34-8C5B1, 13,790 lbs thrust, turbo fanGeneral Electric CF34-8C5B1, 13,790 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Skywest Airlines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 1, 2007
- Departed
- DEN · Denver, CO
- Destination
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DEN · Denver International, runway 25, 12,000 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,933 total · 1,673 in this make and model · 1,827 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,729 total · 731 in this make and model · 715 as pilot in command · 119 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 7, 2008, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.