Synopsis
On the day of the accident, a Dassault Falcon 20C jet aircraft operated a charter flight from Norwich, United Kingdom, to Gothenburg, Sweden. The aircraft had arrived in Norwich at 12:28 following an uneventful positioning flight from Oslo, Norway. At approximately 15:20, six passengers boarded the aircraft. The crew received taxi clearance from Norwich Tower and proceeded to runway 28 for departure.
Takeoff and Bird Strikes
The aircraft took off at 15:37, piloted from the left seat by the co-pilot, who was a qualified commander on the type. The commander occupied the right seat. During the takeoff roll, the crew did not observe any bird flocks. As the aircraft became airborne a little over halfway down the runway, the crew sighted a flock of birds flying just above the ground ahead. The pilot increased the climb attitude slightly, and the flock passed underneath. Shortly thereafter, a second flock appeared at a higher altitude directly in the flight path. The pilot lowered the nose, allowing the flock to pass overhead. While re-establishing the climb at between 100 and 200 feet, a third flock was seen directly ahead, extending from ground level to well above the aircraft, leaving no room for avoidance.
Engine Failure and Forced Landing
Immediately after the third flock, the crew heard multiple bird strikes described by the commander as "like a machine gun." The commander observed that the RPM on both engines decreased rapidly, along with drops in engine pressure ratio (EPR) and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) readings. The pilot heard a bang followed by abnormal engine running. The commander confirmed both engines had failed and found the thrust levers unresponsive. The aircraft was at approximately 300 feet with landing gear still extended, as the crew had been preoccupied with avoiding birds. Airspeed, initially 150 knots before the strikes, had decreased to 135 knots. The crew eased the control column forward to maintain speed, and the aircraft began losing altitude. The pilot selected a field ahead and to the left for a forced landing. After the commander confirmed the decision, the pilot turned left and aligned the aircraft with the field. Visibility was reduced due to approaching darkness, but the crew avoided trees at the approach end. The aircraft touched down, with the stall warning sounding just before impact. Battery and fuel switches were turned off around the time of impact, and an attempt to close the thrust levers was unsuccessful. All three landing gear legs were torn off shortly after touchdown, and the aircraft came to rest on its fuselage belly.
Aftermath
The commander, partially blinded by blood from head cuts, opened the main cabin door, and all occupants evacuated. Investigation found that the accident was caused by both engines failing due to mechanical damage from bird ingestion. Factors included that no birds were observed by the crew or ATC before takeoff, but a large concentration of seagulls was on or arriving over the runway at takeoff. The successful forced landing was attributed to the crew's professional airmanship. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the passengers did not suffer appreciable injuries; the three crew members sustained varying degrees of injury.