Incident Sequence
During the takeoff roll, as the aircraft rotated, the right engine of a Boeing 737-3B7 ingested a bird. The ingestion caused several fan blades to break. However, there was no uncontained failure of the blades; they remained contained within the engine. No fire occurred. The engine continued to run until the flight crew shut it down. After shutdown, the pilot returned to the airport for a single-engine landing.
Bird Strike Details
Feathers recovered from the engine were identified as belonging to a bird. The bird's weight was between 2.7 and 6.4 pounds, with an average weight of 3.8 pounds. The engine performed within the limits of its certification criteria during the event, indicating that the damage did not exceed design parameters.
Conclusion
The incident involved a bird strike during the takeoff phase. The engine sustained fan blade damage but remained operational until shut down. The aircraft landed safely on one engine.
