Probable cause
The in-flight engine ingestion of one or more Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens).
NTSB analysis
The airplane struck a flock of birds shortly after takeoff as it was climbing through 4,260 feet at 252 knots. The right engine spooled down to flight idle. When the crew attempted to advance the throttle, there were a series of compressor stalls. Passengers said they saw fireballs being ejected from the engine. The crew declared an emergency, returned to the airport, and landed uneventfully. The bird remains were identified as Lesser Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) with an average weight of 5.3 pounds.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10IA053 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Nov 15, 2009
- Type
- Incident
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Nearest airport
- Kansas City International (MCI)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night, dark
Airbus A319-111
- N-number
- N924FR
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Minor
- Operating rule
- Part 121 (airline)
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.