Bird Strike Grounds Plane in Dipolog

Disables A320 Aircraft


29 December 2013
(Updated)
An Airbus A320 plane of Philippine Airlines Express (RP-C8397) with 158 passengers on board landed safely at Dipolog airport at 2:16 pm Sunday after reporting a “bird strike“ damaging its engine number 2 by denting blades No. 21 and 22.

In aviation parlance, “Bird strike” occurs when birds, bats and all other flying animals collide with aircraft, hitting the nose, windshield, leading edges such as wings and tails, or is ingested by plane engines. Most damages to aircraft occur when striking large bird or flocks of birds.

Nobody was reported hurt among the passengers and crew members, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

PAL Express flight 2P588 was  piloted by Captain Mark Castro and co-pilot Capt. Peter Salac together with four crew members on board.  The plane landed safely and was parked at the airport’s remote parking bay 3 and will remain overnight in Dipolog while waiting for the spare parts that will be coming from Manila, authorities said.

The aviation authority will send an investigation team  from the Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (EIIB)  headed by Harry Paradero and Alberto Dulay to  examine the aircraft and to look closely into the incident of bird strikes in the area around the vicinity of Dipolog Airport which is said to be the first incident around the airport's airspace which is mostly rural in nature.

In 2012, more than 50 bird strikes in the Philippines were recorded at different airports, two of them occurring within three days in October.

1 comment:

  1. actually the bird strike happened in manila as per the pilot. the parameters were still normal hence he decided to continue to dipolog. after landing, inspection were done and he decided to contact manila because of some engine blade damage. Manila decided that the blades be replaced before returning to manila.

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