Airbus A320 N330NW accident near Red Oak, Iowa

Probable cause

Multiple bird strikes during descent.

NTSB analysis

Delta Air Lines flight 2295 struck several birds while descending through 13,000 feet on approach to Eppley Airfield (OMA), Omaha, Nebraska. The bird strike occurred about 34 miles southeast of the airport, near Red Oak, Iowa, at an airspeed of 290 knots. The crew continued the approach and made a normal landing. Weather at the time of the event was night visual conditions.

Birds struck the airplane and punctured the fuselage skin in two locations on the left side; one above the cockpit windows and another near the pitot tube (see figure 1). Another bird punctured the skin on the right side of the fuselage below the cockpit window. Damage was evident to the stringers and frames at each location, and the size of the punctures in total exceeded the size of the outflow valve. The damage adversely affected the structural strength and pressurization performance and required a major repair.

Figure 1. Photo of two of the bird strikes on the left side of the airplane, indicated by blue circles. (Source: Delta Air Lines)

The flight crew described the noise as the strike occurred as being like an “explosion.” The cabin depressurized, and the cockpit door blew open. The captain reported that the wind noise was “extreme” which made communication difficult. Soon after the strike the airplane descended though 10,000 ft and the cabin altitude matched the airplane altitude at about 9,500 ft. The crew declared an emergency, continued the approach to OMA, and landed uneventfully.

The species of birds was identified as either Snow Goose or Ross’s Goose (DNA testing could not discriminate between the two) by the Smithsonian Institution Feather Identification Laboratory. According to the FAA, there were no pilot reports of bird activity in the area near the time of the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DCA23LA067 for the full record.