Incident Overview
A Boeing 747 aircraft experienced a bird strike during its takeoff roll when a 28-ounce duck was ingested into one of its JT9 turbofan engines. The impact struck and fractured the engine's 10-ply fiberglass fan spinner. This damage led to subsequent destruction further downstream within the engine.
Previous Concerns and Actions
The engine manufacturer and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had been aware of multiple previous instances of bird-strike failures involving the 10-ply fiberglass fan spinner on JT9 engines. In response, a new and stronger 20-ply fan spinner design was being phased into service. However, at the time of this incident, the thinner 10-ply spinners remained in use on some JT9 engines operating in commercial service.
Component Details
The fan spinner, made of fiberglass, consisted of 10 plies in its construction. The newer design increases the ply count to 20, aiming to improve resistance against bird ingestion events. The specific aircraft and engine details, such as registration, operator, or flight number, were not provided in the source.
Aftermath
The ingestion resulted in the destruction of the affected engine. No information was given regarding injuries, additional damage to the aircraft, or whether the flight continued or aborted. The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of bird strikes on aircraft engines, particularly those with fiberglass components susceptible to impact damage.