What happened
During the takeoff climb phase, a turbojet aircraft experienced a simultaneous loss of power in both engines. According to the pilot, the aircraft had completed all pre-takeoff checks and taxiing without any operational issues. After rotation and the retraction of landing gear and flaps, the aircraft encountered a large flock of birds. The impact caused the number two engine to fail immediately. In an attempt to compensate, the pilot increased thrust, but the number one engine failed to respond, producing only about 70% RPM with excessive exhaust gas temperature.
The co-pilot reported observing a large group of birds passing just left of the aircraft's nose at an altitude between 500 and 1,000 feet AGL, followed by an engine flameout. As the crew attempted to transition to single-engine procedures, the aircraft lost airspeed and altitude. The pilot initiated an emergency descent to a nearby field for a forced landing. Following the impact, a post-accident fire broke out, necessitating an evacuation of the crew and passengers. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries reported during the evacuation.
Findings
An investigation of the aircraft's fuel, pneumatic, and engine systems revealed no mechanical anomalies or failures prior to the impact. While no physical evidence of bird ingestion was found within the engines, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured a sound similar to a decrease in engine RPM immediately following a thumping noise. Analysis of the flight profile and CVR sound spectrum indicated that one engine flamed out almost instantly after the impact, while the second engine experienced a series of compressor stalls until it reached flight idle.
Although the engine's steel construction limited physical damage from the strike, the investigation noted that the ingestion of small birds, such as a 2-4 ounce starling, had been shown to cause compressor stalls in certification testing. A wildlife survey conducted at the airport two days after the event identified a flock of approximately 800 European Starlings in the area, suggesting bird ingestion as the primary catalyst for the engine failures.