What happened
On August 15, 2026, a Beechjet 400 with registration LV-COO departed San Fernando International Airport in Buenos Aires Province for Córdoba. During the takeoff roll, after reaching rotation speed, the aircraft experienced a birdstrike affecting Engine 2. The crew continued the takeoff procedure, declared an emergency, and completed a traffic pattern before landing safely on the same runway. The aircraft taxied to the hangar area under its own power.
The investigation
The Argentine Transportation Safety Board (JST) conducted a desk investigation into the incident. Following the event, technical personnel from Aero Baires performed a visual inspection of the engine and fuselage without disassembly. The examination revealed that the N1 and N2 fan stages could not be rotated freely by hand. Additionally, debris from detached blades was found impacting the fuselage and air outlet grilles.
Findings
The investigation established that the damage patterns were consistent with the ingestion of a bird during the high-power phase of takeoff. The impact caused significant mechanical obstruction within Engine 2, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft's propulsion system and external structures.