Incident Overview
On 4 October 2016, an Embraer E170 aircraft was involved in a bird strike incident during flight at Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA). The flight crew was informed of the event by a mechanic, who discovered traces on engine number 1 indicative of a bird strike. A subsequent special inspection of the engine found no damage; only signs of impact were present. Bird remains were removed from the affected engine.
There were 57 persons on board, none of whom sustained injuries. Weather conditions on the day of the incident were not a contributing factor.
Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the operator under the supervision of the Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL). The investigation team was not formally appointed, and the results were documented in an incident report. The report concluded with a single stated cause.
Cause
The probable cause of the incident was the presence of a bird on the aircraft's flight path.
Preventive Actions
In response to the incident, the operator implemented several preventive measures:
- Increased inspections of the airport's movement area due to heightened bird activity.
- Surveys of the airport vicinity for pigeon breeding sites.
- Adjustment of settings on the stationary BirdGard bird deterrent system.
- Ongoing checks of the airport grounds and fence integrity.
- Culling of animals posing a threat to flight safety.
No safety recommendations were issued by the commission, and no additional comments were provided.