Narrative:
After lift-off from runway 35 at Dublin Airport the B737 aircraft encountered a flock of 20 to 30 gulls. Several bangs were heard, the aircraft yawed and buffeted. The left hand engine suffered immediate and catastrophic damage, the no. 1 power lever slammed closed, the landing gear horn sounded and the no. 1 engine thrust reverser unlocked light illuminated. The damage to the engine left it hanging from the wing (dropping 10 deg at the rear) causing drag and vibration. After only five minutes in the air, an emergency landing was made on runway 23 with a low rate of descent, resulting in the damaged engine remaining attached to the wing. Five birds had struck the airframe and one black-headed gull had been ingested into the no. 1 engine.
Captains Michael Dalton and Gerard Blacoe were presented with the Irish Air Line Pilots Association (IALPA) Wright Brothers Award 2005 in recognition of their professionalism and distinguished airmanship.
| Status: | |
| Date: | Saturday 7 December 1985 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-248 |
| Operator: | Aer Lingus |
| Registration: | EI-ASA |
| MSN: | 19424/147 |
| First flight: | 1969-03-15 (16 years 9 months) |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 117 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 123 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | Dublin Airport (DUB) ( Ireland)
|
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW), Ireland |
| London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL), United Kingdom | |
| Flightnumber: | 156 |
After lift-off from runway 35 at Dublin Airport the B737 aircraft encountered a flock of 20 to 30 gulls. Several bangs were heard, the aircraft yawed and buffeted. The left hand engine suffered immediate and catastrophic damage, the no. 1 power lever slammed closed, the landing gear horn sounded and the no. 1 engine thrust reverser unlocked light illuminated. The damage to the engine left it hanging from the wing (dropping 10 deg at the rear) causing drag and vibration. After only five minutes in the air, an emergency landing was made on runway 23 with a low rate of descent, resulting in the damaged engine remaining attached to the wing. Five birds had struck the airframe and one black-headed gull had been ingested into the no. 1 engine.
Captains Michael Dalton and Gerard Blacoe were presented with the Irish Air Line Pilots Association (IALPA) Wright Brothers Award 2005 in recognition of their professionalism and distinguished airmanship.
Sources:
» IALPAPhotos
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 Dublin Airport to London-Heathrow Airport as the crow flies is 446 km (278 miles).
Distance from Dublin Airport to London-Heathrow Airport as the crow flies is 446 km (278 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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