Narrative:
Piedmont Airlines flight 4314, a DHC-8-100, encountered a flock of a birds during the descent into Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania, USA. The airplane was located about 16 miles north of KPHL, and at about 4000 feet mean sea level (msl), when multiple birds impacted the fuselage and wing of the airplane. The flight crew notified air traffic control, and did not declare an emergency. The flight landed uneventfully at KPHL. Post flight maintenance inspection revealed substantial damage to the left front wing spar, left wing skin, and vertical stabilizer deice boot.
None of the 40 passengers and crew onboard were injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
Probable Cause: An inadvertent encounter with several birds during approach that resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
Normal landing
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Sunday 24 November 2013 |
| Time: | 20:40 |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102 |
| Operated by: | Piedmont Airlines |
| On behalf of: | US Airways Express |
| Registration: | N808EX |
| MSN: | 299 |
| First flight: | 1991-09-10 (22 years 3 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 53120 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 37 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 40 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | 28 km (17.5 mls) N of Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Binghamton Airport, NY (BGM/KBGM), United States of America |
| Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL/KPHL), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 4314 |
Piedmont Airlines flight 4314, a DHC-8-100, encountered a flock of a birds during the descent into Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania, USA. The airplane was located about 16 miles north of KPHL, and at about 4000 feet mean sea level (msl), when multiple birds impacted the fuselage and wing of the airplane. The flight crew notified air traffic control, and did not declare an emergency. The flight landed uneventfully at KPHL. Post flight maintenance inspection revealed substantial damage to the left front wing spar, left wing skin, and vertical stabilizer deice boot.
None of the 40 passengers and crew onboard were injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
Probable Cause:
Probable Cause: An inadvertent encounter with several birds during approach that resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Bird strikeNormal landing
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Binghamton Airport, NY to Philadelphia International Airport, PA as the crow flies is 265 km (166 miles).
Distance from Binghamton Airport, NY to Philadelphia International Airport, PA as the crow flies is 265 km (166 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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