# NTSB FTW98IA208: Boeing 727-25C, N116FE, Colorado Sprngs, CO, May 8, 1998 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: May 7, 1998, 21:30 local (May 8, 1998, 03:30 UTC) - Place: Colorado Sprngs, CO - Coordinates: 39.030632, -104.479515 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0306&lon=-104.4795&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 19, 1999 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20440 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW98IA208 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20440/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98IA208 ## Probable cause An inadvertent inflight collision with a flock of large birds. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, climb - object - bird(s) (cause) - Loss of engine power, climb - compressor assembly,blade - foreign object damage - engine shutdown - intentional, pilot in command ## Analysis Federal Express flight 1287 departed Colorado Springs, en route to Memphis, Tennessee. When the airplane was north of the airport and passing 8,500 feet msl, it struck a flock of large white birds, causing an uncontained no. 3 engine failure. There was also a loss of essential electrical power. The captain declared an emergency, returned to the Colorado Springs Airport, and made an uneventful landing. In addition to minor damage to the right side of the fuselage, visual inspection of the engine disclosed bird remains in and around the no. 3 engine. The outboard 4 inches of the first stage compressor blade separated, damaging the first and second stage compressor blades, stator blades, and inlet guide vanes. Shrapnel was ejected through the engine case at the 12 o'clock position, severing the no. 3 electrical bus wire bundle and puncturing the engine inlet anti-ice bleed air duct. The nose and upper engine cowling and thrust reverser were also damaged. The constant speed drive oil cooler was partially separated due to engine vibrations. ## Factual narrative On May 7, 1998, approximately 2130 mountain daylight time, a Boeing 727-25C, N116FE, operated by Federal Express Corporation of Memphis, Tennessee, sustained minor damage when it struck a flock of birds during climbout from Colorado Springs, Colorado. There were no injuries to the airline transport rated captain, first officer, and second officer. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed for the scheduled domestic cargo flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 121. The flight originated approximately 2120. According to the incident report submitted by Federal Express, flight 1287 took off from Colorado Springs, and was en route to Memphis, Tennessee. When the airplane was north of the airport and passing 8,500 feet msl, it struck "a flock of large white birds." The crew felt "moderate to severe vibrations due to the ingestion of one or more birds into the no. 3 engine." This caused an uncontained engine failure. There was also a loss of essential electrical power. After restoring electrical power using the no. 1 generator, the captain declared an emergency, returned to the Colorado Springs Airport, and made an uneventful landing. The right hand side of the airplane sustained all the damage. The radome was damaged, and there was a tear in the skin behind the radome. A doubler at F.S. 196 was damaged, and there were multiple skin dents below the pitot-static tube. Visual inspection of the engine disclosed bird remains in and around the no. 3 engine. The outboard 4 inches of the first stage compressor blade separated, damaging the first and second stage compressor blades, stator blades, and inlet guide vanes. Shrapnel was ejected through the engine case at the 12 o'clock position, severing the no. 3 electrical bus wire bundle and puncturing the engine inlet anti-ice bleed air duct. The nose and upper engine cowling and thrust reverser were also damaged. The constant speed drive oil cooler was partially separated due to engine vibrations. According to a report submitted by Lufthansa Airmotive Ireland, the facility that disassembled and inspected the no. 3 engine, there was "severe front and rear compressor damage." One of the C1 blades fractured and penetrated the front fan case at the 12 o'clock position. There was also "heavy metal splatter" on all stages of the turbine discs and nozzle guide vanes. Ingested bird remains were submitted to the Smithsonian Institute and were identified as coming from a Canadian goose. The report stated that the average weight of a Canadian goose is 8 pounds. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N116FE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N116FE-2005-10-05), registration cancelled 2005-10-05, S/N 19298, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 727-25C - Registry model: [Boeing 727-25C](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-727-25c) (registry code 138400H) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney JT8D-1](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-1) (registry code 52044, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 19298 - Airframe hours: 63119 - Engines: P&W JT8D-7BQN 14000 lbs thrust turbo jet - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Federal Express Corporation - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 5, 1998 - Departed: COS - Destination: MEM, MEMPHIS, TN - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 38; commercial, airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 3,051 total, 2,386 in this make and model, 638 as pilot in command, 34 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 360° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft broken - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: COS ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 19980507018459I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980507018459I), May 7, 1998: Boeing 72725C, Colorado Spring, CO, Minor damage. On climb out, struck a flock of birds. Ingested into NR3 engine resulting in uncontained failure. Returned to cos. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.