Incident
On December 5, 2012, at approximately 1800 eastern standard time, a Bombardier CRJ200 operated by Air Wisconsin as USAirways Express flight 3852 experienced a bird strike while descending through 7,000 feet on approach to New York LaGuardia Airport, New York. The strike occurred about 30 miles southwest of the airport at an airspeed of 200 knots. The crew continued the approach and made a normal landing. Weather at the time was night visual conditions. There were no injuries to the 3 crewmembers or 50 passengers.
Damage
Structural damage was found on skin panels, bulkheads, stringers, frames, nose landing gear support structure, ADG enclosure, leading edges, and piccolo ducts. The forward pressure bulkhead was dented, deformed, and punctured in several areas, affecting the structural strength of the bulkhead and requiring major repair or replacement, thereby qualifying as substantial damage.
Identification
The species of bird was identified as Snow Goose by the Smithsonian Institution bird hazard laboratory.