# NTSB WPR11LA042: Bombardier DHC-8-402, N422QX, Los Angeles, CA, November 8, 2010

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: November 8, 2010, 14:07 local (22:07 UTC)
- Place: Los Angeles, CA
- Coordinates: 34.236389, -118.339721 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2364&lon=-118.3397&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 77 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 20, 2012
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 77755
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR11LA042
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/77755/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77755
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA042

## Probable cause

An in-flight collision with a bird.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Bombardier DHC-8-402, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=1390042), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-descent: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901) (defining event); cases with it: [Bombardier DHC-8-402, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md?model=1390042), [All aircraft, 253 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md)

## Analysis

During the approach to land, the flight crew reported a bird strike to the leading edge of the right wing. The crew declared an emergency and made an uneventful landing at their destination. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a 12-inch-diameter hole in the leading edge of the right wing centered between the right engine nacelle and the right wing tip. The damaged area was covered in bird remains, which were identified as the remains of a Common Loon (Gavia immer). The average weight for the species is about 10.9 pounds.

## Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 8, 2010, at 1407 Pacific standard time (PST), Horizon Airlines flight 2306, a Bombardier DHC-8-402, N422QX, encountered a bird strike near Los Angeles, California. Horizon Air Industries, Inc., was operating the airplane as a scheduled domestic passenger flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121. The airline transport rated captain and first officer, 2 flight attendants, and 73 passengers were not injured. The flight departed Redding (RDD), California, about 1247, as a non-stop to Los Angeles (LAX), California. Visual meteorological (VMC) conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The captain reported while on the approach for landing at LAX they encountered a bird strike to the leading edge of the right wing. The flight crew reported they never saw the bird before it hit the airplane. A review of the airplane flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) established the bird strike occurred 18 nautical miles north of LAX at an altitude of 7,500 feet mean sea level (msl), and the airspeed was 234 knots. The crew declared an emergency and made an uneventful landing, and taxied to the passenger terminal where the passengers were deplaned. An examination of the damage revealed a 12-inch-diameter hole in the leading edge of the right wing centered between the right engine nacelle and the right wing tip. The damage area was covered in blood and what appeared to be bird remains. Samples of the remains were recovered and sent to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Feather Identification Laboratory. They performed DNA analysis, microscopic examination, and whole feather comparisons with museum study skins on the recovered residue and feathers. The analysis identified the residue and feathers as the remains of a Common Loon (Gavia immer). The average weight for the species is about 4,980 grams or 10.9 pounds.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N422QX](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N422QX-2023-11-25), registration cancelled 2023-11-25, S/N 4150, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOMBARDIER INC DHC-8-402
- Registry model: [Bombardier DHC-8-402](https://openairdocs.org/model/bombardier-dhc-8-402) (registry code 1390042) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw150a) (registry code 52167, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 4150
- Airframe hours: 9196
- Engines: P&W CANADA PW150A 4580 lbs thrust turbo prop; P&W CANADA PW150A 4580 lbs thrust turbo prop
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Horizon Air Industries Inc
- Registered owner: Horizon Air Industries Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, November 6, 2010
- Departed: RDD, Redding, CA
- Destination: LAX, Los Angeles, CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: LAX, Los Angeles International

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 36; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 22, 2010; seat: left; flight hours: 9,402 total, 5,022 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 46 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours
- Co-pilot; age 44; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 21, 2009; seat: right; flight hours: 9,066 total, 1,976 as pilot in command, 183 in the last 90 days, 71 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 290° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observed at: LAX, 6 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20101108050709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101108050709A), Nov 8, 2010: Bombardier DHC-8-402, Los Angeles, CA, Substantial damage. Pilot's statement: "during final approach into lax at about 6600 feet and 220 KTS, a bird struck the right wing leadng edge about 15 feet from the wing tip -…

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 1, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77755. 2.7 MB in all.

- Cockpit Voice Recorder 12 - Specialist's Factual Report (item 1, .PDF, 40 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363696&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Cockpit%20Voice%20Recorder%2012%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF
- Flight Data Recorder 10 - Specialist's Factual Report (item 2, .PDF, 446 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353998&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF
- Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 - Tabular Data - Flight - (CSV Format) (item 3, .CSV, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353999&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%201%20-%20Tabular%20Data%20-%20Flight%20-%20(CSV%20Format)-Master.csv
- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 4, .PDF, 269 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353132&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF
- FAA Inspector's On-Scene Report (item 5, .PDF, 4 photos, 479 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353133&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20On-Scene%20Report-Redacted.PDF
- Bird Strike Report (item 6, .PDF, 29 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353134&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Bird%20Strike%20Report-Redacted.PDF

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.

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