MD-83
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure; Workload; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Inflight Event / Encounter Bird / Animal
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Environment - Non Weather Related
As the Captain; I was the pilot not flying. We were taking off on Runway 35R. Just prior to V1 we noticed a flock of birds (seagulls) becoming airborne. I called V1 and the birds converged toward the path of the aircraft during rotation. During this time we felt a jolt and noticed the right engine gauges rolling back and then recovering. There was a slight yaw associated with the loss of power. I told the First Officer to continue flying and that both engines are stable and that we would be returning back to the airport. I called the Tower and informed him that we would be returning. He immediately told us to level off at 1;600 FT make left traffic. Once we leveled off the First Officer turned the autopilot on and we both inspected each engine parameters. All indications were normal. I called the flight attendants and told them what had happened. I explained that we would be returning to the airport and all operations would be 'normal' at this time and that I would be making a PA to the passengers. I updated the passengers and reassured them stating we are making a precautionary landing as a result of the birds. We continued in the pattern and I ran the Return Checklist while the First Officer was in touch with Operations. The Tower asked if we wanted to declare an emergency and because of the current normal operation of the aircraft I made the decision to decline the emergency. I did ask that they have the trucks available anyway and if anything changed we would declare an emergency. I also told Airport Operations that we needed them to contact Dispatch and inform them that we were returning to the field. We continued in the pattern and made a normal landing on Runway 35R with flaps 40. Once we returned to the gate and the parking check was completed I called the duty pilot and gave my narrative. Maintenance informed us that we had produced a compressor stall so loud that people thought it was a sonic boom and that it had shook the terminal building. Maintenance also stated that they did have evidence of the birds in the right engine core and that it would have to be borescoped. The passengers were deplaned and we boarded another aircraft and completed the day's flight. One comment on the process of talking to all the people involved when there is a situation (Air Return) would be to have a hand off system or a streamlining of the process. Between the First Officer and me the following people wanted or needed almost the same exact info or just needed to be updated: duty pilot; Scheduling; Maintenance Control; Fire Department; flight attendants; passengers; Tower. Is there a way that some of this can be streamlined instead of making multiple calls? I first sent my First Officer out and informed him that the fire department would probably need info and if he could head them off first. After he left I was consistently on the phone; radio and talking to people on the ground. Eventually I asked the Flight Attendant to close the cockpit door. If there is a way to have a conference call with all parties (i.e. duty pilot; Scheduling; Dispatch and Maintenance Control) at the same time I think this would streamline the process and relieve some of the stress and time delay of trying to figure who to call or what I have possible missed or what I need to do next to keep the ball moving in the right direction. Another option would be to have the duty pilot hand off to the next person in the list that needs information.
An MD-83 hit a flock of seagulls on takeoff damaging the right engine; but the flight returned to land with both engines running. The Captain felt stressed by post flight notifications and paperwork.