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| Date: | Thursday 3 September 1981 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Fokker F-28 Fellowship 1000 |
| Owner/operator: | Linjeflyg |
| Registration: | SE-DGC |
| MSN: | 11069 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1972 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 47 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial, repaired |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Vanja beacon -
 Sweden
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Umeå |
| Örnsköldsvik | |
| Investigating agency: | SHK |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Fokker F-28, SE-DGC, collided with a bird during a scheduled passenger flight between Umeå and Örnsköldsvik. The bird pierced the fuselage above the right windshield, causing extensive damage to the cockpit.
Linjeflyg flight LF271, a Fokker F-28 MK 1000, departed Umeå at 06:44 and shortly afterward received inbound clearance to Örnsköldsvik, where it was scheduled to make an intermediate stop. At 06:55, just before beginning descent toward Örnsköldsvik, while cruising at FL 80 with an indicated airspeed of 270 knots, the aircraft collided with a bird. The captain caught sight of a shadow just before the bird struck the fuselage above the right front window with a loud impact, penetrated a roof beam in the cockpit, and hit the wall behind the pilots. Bundles of torn wires hung from the ceiling, bird remains splattered across the crew, and a powerful noise caused by the airstream through the hole in the cockpit roof made communication between the pilots and with ground control impossible.
An immediate throttle reduction decreased the speed from 270 to 200 knots, which lowered the noise level enough for communication to resume and for air traffic control to be heard again. The captain promptly informed Sundsvall Control that the aircraft had collided with a bird but remained controllable.
To prevent the passengers from being alarmed if they saw the damage through the cockpit door, the captain contacted the cabin crew over the PA system and instructed them to answer the interphone. He informed them of what had happened, and then the passengers were notified over the public address system. According to the cabin crew, some passengers were worried, and a few complained of ear pain caused by the sudden pressure change when the bird broke through the fuselage. The cabin crew focused on assisting the passengers. There were no signs of panic.
Sundsvall Control notified AFIS Örnsköldsvik that LF 271 had collided with a bird shortly after passing the Vanja beacon, creating a hole in the cockpit roof, but that all systems were functioning normally. Sundsvall Control requested an increased level of fire readiness.
The approach and landing were carried out without incident. The aircraft landed in Örnsköldsvik at 07:00.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
SHK
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Oct-2025 14:07 | ASN | Added |
| 26-Oct-2025 17:34 | ASN | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
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