RW3282 - ERJ170 - KCLT - Aug 17th 2009 - rejected takeoff w/bird strikes

[kea001]

Republic E170 at Charlotte on Aug 17th 2009, rejected takeoff after multiple bird strikes

A Republic Airlines Embraer ERJ-170 on behalf of US Airways, registration N127HQ performing flight RW-3282/US-3282 from Charlotte,NC to Indianapolis,IN (USA), rejected takeoff from runway 18C at high speed after the airplane hit multiple geese. The airplane stopped safely and taxied back to the apron.

The FAA reported, that one goose was ingested into the right hand engine and another one struck the right main landing gear resulting in unknown damage to the airplane. No injuries occured.

Aviation Herald:
http://www.avherald.com/h?article=41e69ecd&opt=1

[dave]

The geese population seems to be on the rise, at least everywhere I travel (plane or car).  Is it just me?

No bird strikes so far!

Dave

[rekno13]

Good thing he had enough runway to stop.

[kea001]

Preliminary information in this instance seems to indicate that the pilot made the rather foolhardy decision to attempt to take off with 20 geese standing on the runway. On the other hand, if the airport doesn't have any wildlife management program in place,  the pilot may have few options available short of pulling a shotgun out of the cockpit and sending a volley ahead of his aircraft.

RESOURCES:

Airport Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Home Page
http://wildlife-mitigation.tc.faa.gov/public_html/index.html

[DrumCorpsAlum]

As someone who is a frequent visitor of the Overlook, I'm surprised I haven't seen this myself with all of the birds that constantly fly through the runway space.

[mhawke]

The geese population seems to be on the rise, at least everywhere I travel (plane or car).  Is it just me?

No, its very true.  Especially non-migratory geese to have taken up home in many areas around the US.  Unfortunately, airports tend to have large open spaces, and retention ponds.  All of which provide nice homes for the geese.

Sportsmen have for years been trying to get hunting regulations adjusted to allow non-migratory goose hunting in areas where they have been become thick to no avail.

[Switch Monkey]

Umm twenty geese 6000 feet down the runway. Seriously people this is more than a mile away do you think you could see a goose on the ground a mile away? 

[ed3004]

No, its very true.  Especially non-migratory geese to have taken up home in many areas around the US.  Unfortunately, airports tend to have large open spaces, and retention ponds.  All of which provide nice homes for the geese.

Sportsmen have for years been trying to get hunting regulations adjusted to allow non-migratory goose hunting in areas where they have been become thick to no avail.

No Hunting? Isn't it disturbing how it always takes the loss of human life for agencies to take serious action in correcting an obviously dangerous situation? I'd prefer to leave the geese alone but population control looks like a necessary step. As we can see, these bird strike scares wont be enough. If you have a dangerous intersection in your neighborhood that needs a stop light, many times the city council wont do anything about it until a few people have already been killed. This even with warning after warning. You hear about it everywhere. It's amazing!

[Switch Monkey]

No, its very true.  Especially non-migratory geese to have taken up home in many areas around the US.  Unfortunately, airports tend to have large open spaces, and retention ponds.  All of which provide nice homes for the geese.

Sportsmen have for years been trying to get hunting regulations adjusted to allow non-migratory goose hunting in areas where they have been become thick to no avail.

No Hunting? Isn't it disturbing how it always takes the loss of human life for agencies to take serious action in correcting an obviously dangerous situation? I'd prefer to leave the geese alone but population control looks like a necessary step. As we can see, these bird strike scares wont be enough. If you have a dangerous intersection in your neighborhood that needs a stop light, many times the city council wont do anything about it until a few people have already been killed. This even with warning after warning. You hear about it everywhere. It's amazing!

Tombstone legislation.

[kea001]

Umm twenty geese 6000 feet down the runway. Seriously people this is more than a mile away do you think you could see a goose on the ground a mile away?  

I take your point. However,  presumably this is why towers were built and people with binoculars were installed. Now if they would just stop placing wetland conservation areas beside those airports, we might have a game plan.