What happened
On October 12, 2007, at approximately 04:00 UTC, a Finnair Airbus A3/A319, registration OH-LVA, was performing a scheduled flight from Oulu to Helsinki. During the takeoff roll on runway 30, the aircraft struck a flock of chachiur-type birds (peltopyy) that had taken flight from the runway. The impact caused a significant noise and immediate damage to the right-hand engine, which exhibited flames during the incident.
At the time of the strike, the aircraft was near its V1 decision speed. Although the flight crew was operating under visual meteorological conditions, the lighting was at dawn/twilight levels. Following the impact, the aircraft experienced a heavy rightward yaw. The flying pilot (the first officer) did not continue the takeoff, and after a delay of approximately seven seconds following V1, the captain initiated the abort procedure. The aircraft came to a stop approximately 900 meters from the end of the runway. There were no fatalities and no injuries among the 75 passengers and five crew members.
The investigation
The investigation examined the crew's decision-making process, the technical state of the aircraft, and the airport's bird control effectiveness. Investigators reviewed flight data recorder information, which showed that the right engine's thrust decreased significantly during the strike. The investigation also looked into the crew's adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding takeoff aborts and the airport's runway inspection logs. It was noted that the runway had been inspected roughly 45 minutes prior to the event and was found clear of obstructions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the collision with a flock of birds during the takeoff roll.
- The crew decided to abort the takeoff after exceeding V1 speed, which is a violation of standard safety procedures as an abort after V1 is highly risky and generally prohibited except in extreme emergencies.
- The captain'1s reaction was delayed; the crew did not use standardized callouts such as "GO" or "STOP" to clearly communicate intentions during the critical phase.
- The crew had not fully reviewed all emergency procedures for the day's first flight, which may have impacted their coordinated response.
- The right-hand engine was found to be faulty during a subsequent power check, necessitating its replacement before the aircraft could fly to Helsinki.
- The airport's bird control measures and runway inspections were found to be adequate, but the birds were not visible to the controller due to the low-light conditions at dawn.