What happened
On March 15, 2025, at 21:39 UTC, a Cessna 501, registration LV-BHJ, was performing a commercial air taxi flight from San Fernando International Airport to Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza). During the initial climb, at an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the aircraft's number two engine ingested a bird.
The crew continued the ascent and entered a holding pattern at the VUKMI position before deciding to return to San Fernando. The aircraft landed safely without further incident, and the crew remained uninjured. Upon returning to the hangar, the crew performed a visual inspection of the engine, which revealed damage to the fan blades.
The investigation
An investigation by the JST established that the bird strike caused localized damage to the engine. Technical inspections at the Aeronautical Repair Workshop (TAR) confirmed that the bird entered through the fan and was projected toward the outer part of the fan and the associated duct. This impact damaged the P2T2 sensor and caused the breakage and deformation of several fan blades.
Personnel from Aeropuertos Argentina inspected the hangar and confirmed the presence of bird remains, though a subsequent inspection of runway 05/23 yielded no biological debris. Due to the limited amount of organic material found within the engine, the specific species of bird could not be identified.
Findings
- The engine sustained minor damage to the fan blades and the P2T2 sensor.
- The incident was caused by a bird ingestion into the number two engine during the takeoff phase.
- No injuries were reported to the crew, and the aircraft was returned to service following necessary repairs.