What happened
On the afternoon of the incident, KLM Flight 1673 departed from Amsterdam, bound for Barcelona. During the takeoff roll on runway 18L, the Boeing 737 (implied aircraft type) experienced a bird strike when an unidentified bird impacted the nose landing gear. While the gear retracted as expected without triggering any cockpit warnings, the crew notified air traffic control of the strike. The flight proceeded to its destination without further complications during the cruise phase.
Upon arrival at Barcelona, the aircraft landed on runway 25R. Following the touchdown of the nose gear, the aircraft began to drift toward the left side of the runway centerline. The deviation continued until the aircraft exited the paved runway surface, traversing a section of soft sand used for nearby construction activities. During this excursion, the nose landing gear collapsed toward the rear, and the left main landing gear separated from its structural fittings. The aircraft eventually came to a rest near a rain drainage canal, positioned roughly 1606 meters from the runway threshold and 84 meters from the centerline.
Findings
- An initial bird strike occurred during the rotation phase at Amsterdam.
- The aircraft veered left of the runway centerline after touchdown in Barcelona.
- The excursion into soft sand contributed to the structural failure of the landing gear components.