DURING TKOF FROM BOS; MA; A B737-200 ENCOUNTERS A BIRD STRIKE; DECLARES AN EMER; RETURN LAND AT BOS.

Narrative

WE WERE TAKING OFF ON BOS RWY 22R WHEN WE STRUCK SOME BIRDS THAT HAD BEEN ON THE RWY. A LOUD BANG WAS FELT AND HEARD AT VR. NOT KNOWING WHAT DAMAGE; IF ANY; WE HAD; WE DECLARED AN EMER; LEFT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN; AND LANDED ON RWY 27. NO INDICATION ON THE ENG INSTS SUGGESTED DAMAGE; SO BOTH ENGS WE LEFT RUNNING. THERE WAS A PUNGENT ODOR COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS AND WE THEREFORE CONCLUDED A BIRD STRIKE. ATIS HAD RPTED LIGHT BIRD ACTIVITY IN THE AREA. MAINT INSPECTIONS REVEALED 1 BIRD STRIKE ON THE R LEADING EDGE FLAP AND 1 ON THE #2 (R) ENG INLET CONE; WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY WAS INGESTED INTO THE ENG. EXTENT OF DAMAGE; IF ANY; WAS UNKNOWN AT THE TIME. WE HANDLED THE ENTIRE EVENT WITHOUT ANY PROBS. THE ONLY DISTR WAS THE CONSTANT RINGING BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THE WHOLE EVENT LASTED ONLY A FEW (APPROX 5) MINS; BUT WAS DEFINITELY A BUSY EVOLUTION. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULD HAVE COORDINATED THEIR CALLS AND WAITED 2-3 MINS FOR US TO SORT THINGS OUT. THEY WERE DULY DEBRIEFED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 377123: R AT ROTATION FROM RWY 22R IN BOS; SEVERAL DARK LARGE BIRDS (LATER IDENTED AS BLACKTAIL HAWKS) LIFTED UP OFF THE RWY. EVASIVE MANEUVERS WERE IMPOSSIBLE; SO WE PLOWED RIGHT THROUGH THEM; SEVERAL (MAYBE 4 OR 5) STRIKING THE R SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND AT LEAST 1 (WE SUSPECT 2) GOING THROUGH THE R ENG. THE ENG MOMENTARILY LOST PWR; REQUIRING APPLICATION OF L RUDDER; AND WE HEARD THE ENG COMPRESSOR STALL. BUT IT RECOVERED IN JUST A SECOND OR TWO. PAX ON THE R SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE CONFIRMED THAT FLAMES SHOT OUT THE FRONT OF THE ENG; AND THEN OUT THE BACK. WE LEFT THE GEAR AND FLAPS/SLATS IN THE TKOF POS IN CASE THEY WERE DAMAGED; DECLARED AN EMER; AND TURNED L AND LANDED ON RWY 27 UNEVENTFULLY. MAINT FOUND SEVERAL BIRD STRIKE MARKS ON THE AIRFRAME AND IN THE ENG; BUT NO DAMAGE.