Incident Overview
On 2 June 2013 at 1900 UTC, a Gulfstream AA-5B Tiger, registration G-BJAJ, experienced a bird strike while joining the circuit at Mount Rule Airfield, Isle of Man. The aircraft was on a private flight from Bishops Court, Northern Ireland. The pilot, aged 38, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had 383 hours total flying experience, with 105 hours on type. There were no injuries to the crew or the single passenger.
Flight Details
The flight had been uneventful, with good weather conditions including a light and variable northerly wind, visibility in excess of 10 km, and no cloud below 1,900 ft. The pilot was joining the circuit right-hand downwind to land and had lowered full flap in preparation for a short field landing. As the flaps reached the end of their travel, the pilot sighted a large brown bird directly ahead. The airspeed had been reduced to 80 kt. The pilot elected not to take avoiding action to prevent the possibility of departing from controlled flight.
Damage and Landing
The bird struck the leading edge of the right wing near the stall warning sensor and then impacted the lowered flap. There were no handling difficulties following the strike, and the pilot carried out a normal landing. Damage was limited to the right wing leading edge, flap, and stall warning sensor. The pilot considered that the bird was seen at such a late stage that only violent avoiding action might have avoided the collision, and given the aircraft's low airspeed and limited damage, his actions had been correct.