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National Transportation Safety Board NTSB ID: DEN08FA072 Aircraft Registration Number: N483BA

FACTUAL REPORT Occurrence Date: 04/08/2008 Most Critical Injury: None

AVIATION Occurrence Type: Accident Investigated By: NTSB

Location/Time
Nearest City/Place State Zip Code Local Time Time Zone
Colorado Spring CO 80916 1205 MDT

Airport Proximity: Off Airport/Airstrip Distance From Landing Facility: 5

Aircraft Information Summary

Aircraft Manufacturer Model/Series Type of Aircraft

Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2B16 Airplane

Revenue Sightseeing Flight: No Air Medical Transport Flight: No

Narrative
Brief narrative statement of facts, conditions and circumstances pertinent to the accident/incident:
On April 8, 2008, approximately 1205 mountain daylight time, a Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2B16
business jet, N483BA, sustained substantial damage when it impacted birds during initial climb
after takeoff from Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS), Colorado Springs, Colorado. The
captain, first officer, cabin attendant, and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was
operated by The Boeing Company Executive Flight Operations, Gary, Indiana, and registered to CEF
2002 Aircraft LLC, Danbury, Connecticut. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an
instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91
business flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The captain and first officer reported the sky was clear and light winds were from the south.
Prior to departure, the crew had not received any advisories regarding bird activity in the area.
On takeoff, the crew was given a clearance to a 150-degree heading and a climb to 10,000 feet mean
sea level (msl). The takeoff was normal and in accordance with company procedures. Approximately
2 minutes after takeoff and passing through 8,000 feet msl and 230 knots, the crew noticed "large
white birds." Immediately thereafter, the airplane impacted the birds. "At first there was a loud
bang, followed by a moderately loud wind noise." The crew realized at least one bird had
penetrated into the cockpit; they declared an emergency and requested to return to COS. The
captain performed a few control checks and verified they could maneuver the airplane. The captain
slowed the airplane to 200 knots to reduce noise and wind in the flight deck. The control checks
were good and they turned back to COS.

The crew then took a minute to assess the damage to the airplane. The left engine had high
vibration (4.0 mils); however the engine instruments matched with the right engine and the
throttles were not split. In addition, the N2 gauge REV (thrust reverser) light was very
intermittent in amber. The captain elected to turn off the left thrust reverser for the remaining
portion of the flight, and the crew elected not to shut down the left engine due to weight, high
airport altitude and visibility considerations. On the downwind leg, the crew selected flaps 20
degrees and an airspeed of 170 knots on the speed bug. The crew noted no problems with aircraft
control after the configuration changes. During the downwind to base turn, the crew then selected
flaps 30 degrees, landing gear down, and airspeed 150 knots. After turning final for runway 17R,
the crew selected flaps 45 degrees and airspeed 150 knots (Vref for the landing was 142 knots).
The captain continued the landing from the left seat and the first officer provided visibility
assistance due to bird matter on the windscreen. The airplane landed uneventfully and taxied to a
COS fixed based operator. The crew decided no evacuation of the airplane was required.

On April 9th to the 12th, representatives of the NTSB, operator, and airframe manufacturer examined
the airplane. Examination of the airframe revealed a hole in the aircraft's forward fuselage below
the cockpit windows. The fuselage skin and forward pressure bulkhead were penetrated and contained
bird matter. The left engine fan blades were damaged and the spinner was buckled and collapsed.
The thrust reverser torque box assembly and pylon tracks were bent, and the engine cowl supports

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National Transportation Safety Board NTSB ID: DEN08FA072

FACTUAL REPORT Occurrence Date: 04/08/2008

AVIATION Occurrence Type: Accident

Narrative (Continued)

were broken. The right engine inlet cowl leading edge was dented at the 12 o'clock position.
Small bird matter remains were noted on fan blades, inlet skin and the fan spinner. Bird matter
was noted on the cockpit windows, fuselage, and vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

On May 20th and 21st, the left engine was examined at General Electric's engine maintenance
facility, Arkansas City, Kansas. During the examination, bird remains and feather fragments were
collected from within the aft spinner, fan blade roots, and the fan exit area. All the fan blades
were intact; however, most of the fan blades had damage to the leading edges and/or corner tips.

Bird remains were removed from the cockpit and left engine areas. The bird remains were collected
and submitted to the Smithsonian Feather Identification Laboratory, Washington, DC. The bird
remains were identified as American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), and the average mass
for the bird is approximately 7,000 grams (15.4 pounds). The state of Colorado is located in the
migratory path of the American White Pelican. The birds usually travel from Montana/South Dakota
to Mexico, paired up for mating, and travel in flocks of 4 to 12 birds.

The United States Air Force's Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) is used as a key tool for analysis,
predictability, and correlation of bird habitat, migration, and breeding characteristics, combined
with key environmental, and man-made geographic data. The BAM, based on historical data, has three
risk classes: Low, Moderate, and Severe. These classes are based upon the bird mass in ounces per
square kilometer. At the time of the accident, the BAM risk class was moderate for the Colorado
Springs area.
Updated on Dec 8 2008 2:18PM

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NTSB ID: DEN08FA072

National Transportation Safety Board

FACTUAL REPORT Occurrence Date: 04/08/2008

AVIATION Occurrence Type: Accident

Landing Facility/Approach Information

Airport Name Airport ID: Airport Elevation Runway Used Runway Length Runway Width

6187 Ft. MSL N/A

Runway Surface Type:

Runway Surface Condition:

Approach/Arrival Flown: Unknown

VFR Approach/Landing: Precautionary Landing

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Manufacturer Model/Series Serial Number
Bombardier, Inc. CL-600-2B16 5483

Airworthiness Certificate(s): Normal

Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle

Amateur Built Acft? No Number of Seats: 13 Certified Max Gross Wt. 42500 LBS Number of Engines: 2
Engine Type: Engine Manufacturer: Model/Series: Rated Power:
Turbo Fan General Electric CF34-3B 9140 LBS
- Aircraft Inspection Information
Type of Last Inspection Date of Last Inspection Time Since Last Inspection Airframe Total Time

Continuous Airworthiness 03/2008 Hours 5121 Hours

- Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) Information

ELT Installed?/Type Yes / ELT Operated? No ELT Aided in Locating Accident Site? No

Owner/Operator Information
Registered Aircraft Owner Street Address
44 Old Ridgebury Rd.
CEF 2002 Aircraft, LLc City State Zip Code
Danbury CT 06610
Street Address
Operator of Aircraft 6309 Industrial Hwy
City State Zip Code
The Boeing Company Executive Flight Operations
Gary IN 46406
Operator Does Business As: Operator Designator Code:
- Type of U.S. Certificate(s) Held: None
Air Carrier Operating Certificate(s):

Operating Certificate: Operator Certificate:

Regulation Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation

Type of Flight Operation Conducted: Business

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National Transportation Safety Board NTSB ID: DEN08FA072

FACTUAL REPORT Occurrence Date: 04/08/2008

AVIATION Occurrence Type: Accident

First Pilot Information

Name City State Date of Birth Age

On File On File On File On File 36

Sex: M Seat Occupied: Left Occupational Pilot? Yes Certificate Number: On File

Certificate(s): Airline Transport; Flight Instructor; Commercial; Flight Engineer

Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land

Rotorcraft/Glider/LTA: None

Instrument Rating(s): Airplane

Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Single-engine

Current Biennial Flight Review? 02/2008

Medical Cert.: Class 2 Medical Cert. Status: Without Waivers/Limitations Date of Last Medical Exam: 09/2007

This Make Airplane Airplane Instrument Lighter

All A/C
- Flight Time Matrix and Model Single Engine Mult-Engine
Night
Actual Simulated
Rotorcraft Glider
Than Air

Total Time 7250 1850 1290 5960 1350 577

Pilot In Command(PIC) 6850 1575
Instructor

Instruction Received

Last 90 Days 88 88 88
Last 30 Days 6 6 6
Last 24 Hours

Seatbelt Used? Yes Shoulder Harness Used? Yes Toxicology Performed? No Second Pilot? Yes

Flight Plan/Itinerary
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point State Airport Identifier Departure Time Time Zone

Same as Accident/Incident Location COS 1200 MDT

Destination State Airport Identifier

WASHINGTON DC IAD

Type of Clearance: IFR

Type of Airspace:

Weather Information
Source of Wx Information:

Unknown

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National Transportation Safety Board NTSB ID: DEN08FA072

FACTUAL REPORT Occurrence Date: 04/08/2008

AVIATION Occurrence Type: Accident

Weather Information
WOF ID Observation Time Time Zone WOF Elevation WOF Distance From Accident Site Direction From Accident Site

Ft. MSL NM Deg. Mag.

Sky/Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Ft. AGL Condition of Light: Day

Lowest Ceiling: None Ft. AGL Visibility: 10 SM Altimeter: "Hg

Temperature: °C Dew Point: °C Weather Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions

Wind Direction: Wind Speed: Wind Gusts:

Visibility (RVR): Ft. Visibility (RVV) SM

Precip and/or Obscuration:

No Obscuration; No Precipitation

Accident Information
Aircraft Damage: Substantial Aircraft Fire: None Aircraft Explosion None

- Injury Summary Matrix Fatal Serious Minor None TOTAL

First Pilot 1 1
Second Pilot 1 1
Student Pilot

Flight Instructor

Check Pilot

Flight Engineer

Cabin Attendants 1 1
Other Crew

Passengers 2 2
- TOTAL ABOARD - 5 5
Other Ground

- GRAND TOTAL - 5 5

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NTSB ID: DEN08FA072

National Transportation Safety Board

FACTUAL REPORT Occurrence Date: 04/08/2008

AVIATION Occurrence Type: Accident

Administrative Information
Investigator-In-Charge (IIC)
Aaron M. Sauer

Additional Persons Participating in This Accident/Incident Investigation:

Jimmie B Hopkins
Federal Aviation Administration
Denver, CO

Michael G Wuebbling
The Boeing Company
Gary, IN

Bruce Bell
Bombardier
Carrollton, TX

Sam Farmiga
General Electric
Cincinnati, OH

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