What happened
On 20 May 2005, a B757-200, registration N34131, was performing a scheduled passenger service from Shannon Airport to Newark, USA. During the initial climb out from runway 2/4, at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet, the crew encountered a significant issue with the number 2 engine. The pilot non-flying reported high vibration levels and elevated engine gas temperature (EGT), prompting the crew to declare an emergency and shut down the affected engine.
Air Traffic Control directed the aircraft to return to Shannon, where it landed safely at 11:05 UTC. There were no injuries among the 178 passengers or the 8 crew members on board. A subsequent inspection of the engine revealed substantial damage to the fan blades and the acoustic lining.
The investigation
Investigators focused on identifying the cause of the engine damage. The Shannon Airport Bird Strike Prevention Team recovered feather particles from the damaged acoustic lining forward of the fan blades. These samples, along with further feather fragments found on a sensor aft of the fan area, were sent to the UK Central Science Laboratory for analysis. Through a combination of sample comparison and DNA swabbing, the laboratory confirmed that the engine had been struck by a pheasant.
While Shannon Airport maintains an active bird strike prevention program and had conducted runway inspections shortly before the flight, the investigation noted that the unpredictable nature of wildlife makes total prevention impossible. The incident resulted in significant operational disruptions, including the need for an overnight stay for all passengers and crew, and the replacement of the engine.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine damage was a bird strike involving a pheasant.
- The ingestion of the bird into the number 2 engine led to high vibration and high EGT.
- The economic impact of the event was substantial, with estimated costs exceeding 1 million US dollars due to aircraft downtime, engine repairs, and passenger accommodations.