BIRD STRIKE DAMAGE INCURRED BY A CL65 GOES UNDISCOVERED THROUGH BOTH A POSTFLT AND SUBSEQUENT PREFLT INSPECTION. DAMAGE VISIBLE ONLY WITH FLAPS EXTENDED.
Synopsis
BIRD STRIKE DAMAGE INCURRED BY A CL65 GOES UNDISCOVERED THROUGH BOTH A POSTFLT AND SUBSEQUENT PREFLT INSPECTION. DAMAGE VISIBLE ONLY WITH FLAPS EXTENDED.
Narrative
ON SHORT FINAL; I OBSERVED A FLOCK OF LARGE GRAY BIRDS PASS SLIGHTLY BELOW AND TO THE R OF THE ACFT. I ALSO HEARD/FELT A THUMP. I RPTED A POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE TO THE TWR; AND ALSO THE COMPANY STATION MGR AFTER LNDG (THE STATION MGR TOOK DETAILED INFO). WE RAISED THE SLATS/FLAPS PER OUR AFTER-LNDG CHKLIST. THE CAPT AND I BOTH MADE AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH FOR ANY DAMAGE OR ANY SIGN OF A BIRD STRIKE; USING PWRFUL FLASHLIGHTS. WE BOTH WENT OVER THE ACFT TWICE. UNABLE TO FIND ANY SIGN OF A BIRD STRIKE; WE ASSUMED THE BIRD HAD HIT THE TIRE. IT WAS TOTALLY DARK AND THE ACFT WAS WET. UPON RETURNING IN THE MORNING (SAME ACFT) WE BOTH REPEATED THE SEARCH FOR DAMAGE; BUT IT WAS STILL DARK AND WET. WE FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO PHX; AND DURING THE POSTFLT INSPECTION (BY DAYLIGHT) I FOUND A SLIGHTLY BENT FLAP ON THE R WING; AND A VERY FAINT IMPACT MARK UNDER THE FLAP; PRESUMABLY FROM THE BIRD. THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS FOR REPAIR; AND WHEN THE SLATS WERE LOWERED; BLOOD WAS FOUND ON THE R SLAT. MY EXPERIENCE IN THIS SIT SUGGESTS THAT SLATS/FLAPS SHOULD BE FULLY LOWERED DURING A PREFLT INSPECTION WHEN DAMAGE IS SUSPECTED. ALSO; PWRFUL WORK LIGHTS SHOULD BE USED IF THESE ARE AVAILABLE AT THE LCL STATION.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.