Jet bird strike.

[evangilder]

It is amazing how much damage they can do. When I was at Lakenheath, they had a falconer with all kinds of things to keep the birds away, yet even then, we had birdstrikes on takeoffs and landings there. I watched one happen on a landing F-111. He flared the horizontal stabs and I saw it coming. A loud thud was followed by a cloud of feathers. Put a hell of a dent in it, but the plane was okay. The bird was KIA

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Hell our first confirmed kill in Iraq was a bird right into the windscreen about 5 minutes after crossing the border!

 

[evangilder]

Yikes! We had one yesterday at Camarillo. We had a flight of 2 go out (T-34 and a T-6). Just after takeoff, the T-6 was crossing under the T-34 and he said he saw it coming. The T-6 pilot said he saw what looked like a football zom by him and a cloud of feathers. He backed out of the throttle because he didn't know where the bird hit the T-34. It was completely unknown to us on the ground until they landed. Whatever he hit was big, and it looks like he chopped it in 2 with his prop. They were pretty lucky, it could have been bad.

Below are pics of the front of the prop blade, back of it (Notice the scuffs on the back of the blade) and the leading edge of the horizontal stab. A lot of little bits and pieces all over the airplane.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Looks like the plane made it out allright. Atleast the crew is allright as well.

 

[evangilder]

Yup. Could have been much worse.

 

[lesofprimus]

Anyone for some unspecified pate???

 

[Soren]

I've seen a bird pierce through the body of an aircraft before... 5 kg projectiles I tell ya !

 

[comiso90]

Cheney plane undamaged in collision with bird - CNN.com