What happened
While established on a left downwind for landing on runway 18, the pilot of a commercial aircraft observed a brown object move across the windshield from left to right. The object struck the right wing of the aircraft during the approach.
Despite the impact, the pilot was able to continue the approach and complete a normal landing.
The investigation
Following the incident, company maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft and identified substantial damage to the leading edge and rib assemblies of the right wing. During the inspection, personnel found what appeared to be goose feathers embedded within the damaged area of the wing structure.
According to the pilot/operator report, the skin on the right wing's leading edge was crushed back as far as the forward portion of the spar. To repair the damage, the entire leading edge was replaced from the tip cap to the area outboard of the wing strut attachment point.