What happened
On 15 August 2003, a Piper PA-E23-250 Aztec, registration G-AXZP, was performing a private flight from Fairoaks Airport in Surrey to Blackpool, Lancashire. The aircraft was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) at an altitude of 1,200 feet amsl. While flying along the designated Low Level Route to the west of Manchester Airport, the aircraft was struck by a large bird.
The pilot observed the bird performing a swerving and diving maneuver, likely an attempt to evade the aircraft, but was unable to take any avoiding action. Due to the lighting conditions, the pilot noted that the bird would have been positioned against the sun from its perspective, making it difficult to spot against the ground background until the moment of impact. The strike resulted in a significant dent to the outboard leading edge of the starboard wing, though the aircraft skin remained unpunctured. There were no injuries to the pilot or the three passengers on board, and the pilot successfully completed the flight to the destination.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the circumstances surrounding the impact and the visibility of the bird during the approach to the Manchester area.