Iberia MD-87 Bird Strike at San Sebastián Airport (EC-EXF)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On April 25, 2005, at 15:10 UTC, Iberia Flight IBE-0453, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-87 with registration EC-EXF, departed San Sebastián Airport on runway 22 for Madrid-Barajas. The aircraft was carrying 65 passengers and a crew of five, including the pilot in command, a co-pilot, and three cabin crew members. The flight was delayed by approximately 10 minutes due to technical difficulties starting the main engines using the aircraft's auxiliary power unit (APU). A ground power unit (GPU) was used to start the engines normally before the aircraft taxied to the runway. ## Bird Strike and Emergency Response During the takeoff roll, a flock of several dozen gulls that were resting on and near the runway took flight and struck the aircraft. At least five dead birds were recovered from the runway. The birds entered the right engine, breaking fan blades and causing severe vibrations. The control tower observed flames from the right engine and alerted the crew. The pilots shut down the damaged engine, discharged a fire extinguisher bottle into it, and declared an emergency. They climbed while turning right around Monte Jaizquibel, which has a maximum elevation of 1,774 feet, to return to the same runway for an immediate landing. ## Landing and Aftermath The approach was conducted with one engine shut down and 28 degrees of flap. The aircraft landed approximately eight minutes after takeoff. During braking, the operational left engine experienced a compressor stall and apparent fire. The aircraft came to a stop in the last third of the runway. Firefighters, who had followed the aircraft and positioned themselves behind it, assisted with the evacuation. Passengers disembarked via the forward stairs and walked approximately 800 meters to the terminal. No injuries occurred during the evacuation, and medical services attended to only one case of anxiety. The right engine sustained major damage, while no other damage was reported. The airport was closed and reopened at approximately 18:15 UTC.