Incident Overview
On 19 June 2010 at 0208 UTC, a Boeing 757-2Y0 (registration G-FCLK) experienced a bird strike during takeoff from Runway 01R at Dalaman Airport, Turkey. The aircraft was operating a commercial passenger flight with 7 crew and 231 passengers on board.
Sequence of Events
At the V1 speed of 156 kt, the aircraft struck a flock of seagulls. The flight crew heard several impacts and were aware that a significant bird strike had occurred. Rotation and initial climb out were normal with no unusual indications. The crew informed Air Traffic Control about the bird strike and contacted their company operations.
During the climb, the crew noticed increased vibration levels on the right engine, but other engine indications were normal. The aircraft continued to Manchester Airport, its planned destination, where the extent of the damage was discovered.
Damage Assessment
Inspection revealed a cracked nose landing gear lamp, a damaged light housing, and multiple dents on both engine air intake lips. Birds had evidently passed through both engines. Significant bird remains were found still adhering to the nose and main landing gear assemblies. Ground personnel at Dalaman subsequently confirmed that multiple bird remains had been found on the runway.
Injuries and Damage
None of the 7 crew or 231 passengers were injured. The damage was limited to the nose landing gear lamp (cracked and housing damaged) and numerous dents in engine intake cowlings.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft, a Boeing 757-2Y0 manufactured in 1994, was powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4-37 turbofan engines. The commander, aged 48, held an Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence and had 12,000 total flying hours, including 3,000 hours on type. His recent flying experience included 200 hours in the last 90 days and 60 hours in the last 28 days.