What happened
On February 18, 2008, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, operating as Delta Air Lines flight 1877, was on a visual approach to Runway 35R at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) when it struck a large bird. The flight had departed from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) at 1311 central standard time.
While the aircraft, registration N935DL, was at an altitude of approximately 1,800 feet above ground level and traveling at 210 knots, the crew observed two large birds in the flight path. Shortly after, one bird struck the bottom right side of the radome. The impact caused the airframe to vibrate, though engine indications remained normal. The flight crew declared an emergency, and the aircraft landed uneventfully. There were no injuries among the 135 passengers or 5 crew members.
The investigation
FAA safety inspectors examined the aircraft and found that the bird struck the lower right corner of the radome. The collision caused damage to the outer fuselage skin, the lower nose-web, and the glide slope antenna mount. Additionally, the non-pressurized forward bulkhead fuselage rib was torn. While blood was found on the right engine's nacelle, an inspection of the first and second stage blades showed no damage.
Feathers and biological remains were sent to the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory, which identified the deceased bird as a Black Vulture. Airport monitoring system plots indicated the aircraft was approximately 9 miles from the airport when it was at 1,800 feet altitude.
An airport representative stated that the facility did not have an FAA-approved Wildlife Management Plan, noting that no previous incidents had met the specific regulatory criteria requiring such a plan.