A B757 INGESTED A BIRD ON TKOF FROM JFK. WITH NO SIGNIFICANT ENG ABNORMALITIES THE FLT CONTINUED TO ITS DEST WHERE SUBSTANTIAL FAN SECTION DAMAGE WAS FOUND.

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I WAS THE PNF AND AT V1 MY EYES WERE INSIDE TO CALL THE TKOF SPDS. I CALLED V1; VR; AND V2 AND WE MADE A NORMAL ROTATION. I RETRACTED THE GEAR AND AFTER THE COPLT CALLED FOR FLAPS 1 DEG HE ASKED IF I FELT A VIBRATION. I HAD NOT NOTICED A VIBRATION BEFORE BUT IT WAS SLIGHTLY MORE VIBRATION THAN I HAD EVER FELT IN THIS TYPE AIRPLANE. IT COULD BE FELT IN THE FLOOR AND CTL COLUMN BUT NOT IN THE THROTTLES OR THE PEDESTAL. THEN THE COPLT REMARKED THAT HE HAD SEEN A SEAGULL AT V1 AND WAS CONCERNED IT MIGHT BE INGESTED BY THE R ENG. WE IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE ENG INSTS AND ALL WAS NORMAL. THE VIBRATION INDICATION ON THE EICAS SHOWED 1.6 ON THE R ENG AND I BELIEVE .5 ON THE L ENG. NUMBERS I HAD SEEN BEFORE ON NORMAL ENGS. HOWEVER WE WERE BOTH CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE FROM A POSSIBLE ENG BIRD STRIKE. I WAS NOT CERTAIN WE HAD AN ENG BIRD STRIKE AND THOUGHT MAYBE WE HAD A BIRD STRIKE ON FLT CTL OR SURFACE. AS WE CLBED; THE VIBRATION SLOWLY DIMINISHED; IN FACT WE LEVELED OFF DUE TO ATC; IN THE TEENS; AND THE PWR CAME BACK ALL THE WAY NEAR IDLE. WHEN THE PWR WAS AGAIN APPLIED FOR CLB THE VIBRATION WAS GONE. AS WE CLBED; I REMEMBER THINKING WE ARE NOT GOING OVER WATER WITH THIS ENG AND EVERY MIN WE FLY WE ARE BECOMING LIGHTER. THERE WERE NUMEROUS PLACES AHEAD WE COULD LAND QUICKLY AND SAFELY IF WE HAD TO. THE EICAS VIBRATION INDICATION WAS NOW 1.3 ON THE R ENG. I WAS STILL UNCERTAIN IF WE HAD A BIRD STRIKE; OR WHERE. AFTER CLBING THROUGH FL180 A FLT ATTENDANT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLANE CALLED UP AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED ON TKOF AS HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE UNUSUAL VIBRATION AFTER THAT. WE HAD A FLT ATTENDANT LOOK INTO THE R ENG AND SHE SAID SHE SAW A BROWN SMEAR IN THE NACELLE. AT THIS POINT I WAS CERTAIN WE HAD INGESTED A BIRD. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING PERFECTLY WITH NO VIBRATION AT ANY PWR SETTING. WE CLBED TO FL380 AND WATCHED THE ENG CAREFULLY. IT APPEARED COMPLETELY NORMAL. WE TOLD MAINT CTL WE THOUGHT WE HAD AN ENG BIRD STRIKE AND HE SENT BACK THAT THE VIBRATION HE COULD SEE ON ROTATION THAT THE R ENG HAD A READING OF .6 VERSUS A HISTORY OF .2. I CONTINUED TO CHK THE WX ALONG OUR RTE IN CASE OF A PROB BUT EVEN THE FUEL BURN WAS QUITE NORMAL. DISPATCH SENT A MESSAGE SAYING THEY HAD MONITORED OUR MAINT CTL COM AND OFFERED ZZZ IF WE NEEDED TO LAND. WE INFORMED HIM THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO OUR DEST UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGED. WE HAD A NORMAL FUEL BURN TO OUR DEST AND MADE A NORMAL DSCNT AND APCH AND LNDG. AFTER LNDG WE BOTH WENT TO LOOK AT THE R ENG AND I WAS STUNNED TO SEE AS MUCH DAMAGE AS WE SAW TO A NUMBER OF FAN BLADES. I AM STILL IN AWE OF THIS ENG PERFORMING PERFECTLY EVEN WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FAN SECTION. IF I HAD ANY INDICATION OF ENG DAMAGE WE WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO JFK; BUT WE HAD NONE.