Investigation Summary
The flight was a corporate mission intended to pick up a customer in Miami. Weather conditions at the time were overcast with a ceiling of 500 feet and visibility of 4 miles, with a light 4-knot wind. During the takeoff roll on Runway 20L, the aircraft encountered a massive flock of brown-headed cowbirds. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft trail smoke almost immediately after crossing the airport perimeter. The control tower notified the crew of the smoke, to which the pilot replied, "We just hit some birds," followed by the final transmission, "Don't believe we're gonna make it." The aircraft reached a maximum height of approximately 250 to 300 feet before the nose rose sharply and the plane began to wobble, indicating an aerodynamic stall. It clipped the roof of a three-story apartment complex and crashed into a ravine near Buford Highway. Post-crash analysis found the remains of 15 cowbirds at the end of the runway and evidence of multiple ingestions in both engines: 14 strikes to the left engine and 5 to the right. The birds caused compressor stalls and blocked approximately 75 percent of the cooling air ports in the turbine nozzles, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust. While the left engine flamed out during the initial climb, investigators determined it was possible the flight crew managed to restart it shortly before impact, though not in time to prevent the crash.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB determined the probable cause was the loss of engine thrust during takeoff due to the ingestion of birds by the engines, resulting in a loss of control of the airplane. A significant contributing factor was the failure of the Airport Authority and the FAA to remove a known bird hazard, specifically a sanitary landfill located adjacent to the airport that had been attracting birds for over a decade despite previous commitments to close it. Although some unofficial summaries suggest pilot error, the official NTSB probable cause statement focuses exclusively on the mechanical failure caused by the bird strike and the administrative failure to mitigate the environmental hazard.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Aged 31
First Officer
Aged 27; had begun flying the Learjet 24 several weeks prior.
Systems & Failure Modes
General Electric CJ610-4 Engines
The turbojet engines suffered compressor stalls and internal damage after ingesting birds, which blocked 75% of the cooling air ports.
Windshield
Bird residue and feathers were found on the windshield and center post, indicating multiple structural impacts.
Interesting Facts
- 01The left engine suffered 14 bird strikes and the right engine suffered 5.
- 02A sanitary landfill was located adjacent to the airport, which was a known attractant for birds.
- 03The aircraft was manufactured in 1966 and had 4,041 total flight hours.
- 04The remains of 15 cowbirds were recovered from the departure end of the runway.
- 05One person on the ground sustained serious burns from aviation fuel.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Landfill Surveillance
The NTSB recommended the FAA implement more stringent surveillance of airports with adjacent properties that attract birds, such as landfills.
Airport Grant Compliance
The NTSB advised the FAA to impose sanctions against airport operators who receive federal aid but fail to comply with bird hazard mitigation requirements.