What happened
On November 8, 2010, at 14:07 PST, a Bombardier DHC-8-402, registration N422QX, operating as Horizon Air Industries, Inc. flight 2306, encountered a bird strike while approaching Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The flight had departed from Redding (RDD), California, as a scheduled domestic passenger flight under 14 CFR Part 121.
While on approach, the captain reported that the aircraft struck a bird on the leading edge of the right wing. The flight crew stated they did not see the bird prior to the impact. Flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder analysis confirmed the strike occurred 18 nautical miles north of LAX at an altitude of 7,500 feet MSL with an airspeed of 234 knots. The crew declared an emergency and completed an uneventful landing at LAX. There were no injuries among the 73 passengers or the four crew members.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed a 12-inch-diameter hole in the leading edge of the right wing, located between the right engine nacelle and the right wing tip. The damaged area contained blood and bird remains.
Biological analysis of the recovered residue and feathers, including DNA analysis and microscopic examination by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, identified the species as a Common Loon (*Gavia immer*). The average weight for this species is approximately 10.9 pounds.