ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 165382
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| Date: | Monday 2 November 2009 |
| Time: | 08:50 |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 |
| Owner/operator: | Delta Air Lines |
| Registration: | N909DA |
| MSN: | 53389/2122 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 38842 hours |
| Engine model: | IAE V2500SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 70 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 25 miles Northeast of Phoenix, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport, AZ (PHX/KPHX) |
| Salt Lake City International Airport, UT (SLC/KSLC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The flight crew reported that during climb to cruise they heard a loud bang, followed by a "pop" in the pressurization and loud noise within the cockpit. The first officer stated that prior to the loud bang he observed "several black dots" directly in front of him. The flight crew declared an emergency and diverted to their departure airport, where they landed uneventfully. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed an approximately 18 inch by 21 inch tear in fuselage skin located aft of the right side flight deck eyebrow window and structural damage to the upper portion of the fuselage. Bird residue and feathers were observed near the torn area of fuselage skin. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Feather Identification Laboratory performed DNA analysis, microscopic examination, and whole feather comparisons with museum study skins on the recovered residue and feathers. The analysis identified the residue and feathers as the remains of a Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis). The weight range for the species complex is recorded from 906 to 1,429 grams, with an average weight of 3.3 pounds.
Probable Cause: An in-flight collision with birds.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Apr-2014 06:09 | Katonk2014 | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 02-Dec-2017 17:48 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Sep-2022 09:22 | harro | Updated [Cn, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
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