MINNEAPOLIS– American Airlines (AA) Boeing 737 was towed to its gate on Thursday following a bird strike incident during approach at Minneapolis St.Paul International Airport (MSP).
Unlike typical bird strikes, which occur mostly during daylight hours and involve engine impacts, this incident happened overnight and caused damage to the plane’s nose gear.
American Airlines Bird Strike
As per The Aviation Herald, the aircraft with registration N880NN was conducting Flight AA458. Departing from Miami International Airport (MIA) on Wednesday at 21:33 EDT, slightly delayed from its scheduled pushback time, as reported by FlightAware data.
Taxiing to Runway 8R, it took off at 22:12, following a typical eastbound takeoff trajectory, then turning north and west during ascent.
During its journey, the aircraft maintained an initial cruising altitude of 30,000 feet over central Florida, later ascending to 34,000 feet for the remainder of the cruise. After approximately two hours and 35 minutes, it descended over western Wisconsin.
Approaching the twin cities, it descended to 10,000 feet around 20 minutes into descent, then circled back to line up for the final approach. While the exact altitude during the bird strike incident is unknown, the aircraft encountered a bird during the short final. Nonetheless, it safely landed on Runway 12L at 00:48 CDT, as recorded by FlightAware.
Night bird strikes
After decelerating, the aircraft became immobile on the runway as the crew reportedly lost steering control from the nose wheel. It was subsequently towed to gate E14, arriving at 02:39, nearly two hours post-landing. Upon inspection, officials found damage to the nose gear, resulting in fluid leakage onto the runway.
Consequently, the runway underwent a temporary closure as crews conducted cleanup operations. The closure duration remains unclear, but minimal aircraft movements were likely affected, given the late hour.
While most bird strikes occur during daylight hours, approximately a quarter happen at night, as noted by AOPA. Nonetheless, these incidents pose significant risks to aircraft, often leading to substantial damage and costly repairs depending on the size of the bird involved.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that wildlife strikes, including bird strikes, cost the commercial and military aviation industry over $900 million annually.
This strike resulted in a delay exceeding 30 hours.
33 Hours Delay
The damage to the nose gear of N880NN was relatively minor, as the aircraft remained grounded for approximately a day. It resumed service on Friday under the designation AA1870, bound for MIA, albeit with a delay from its originally scheduled departure on Thursday.
Consequently, two AA1870 flights were operated on Friday. The initial flight took off punctually at 05:58, while N880NN departed later in the afternoon at 15:26, experiencing a delay of 33 hours and 26 minutes; according to FlightAware, The aircraft suffered more substantial damage; it would have necessitated a protracted and costly repair process.
According to insights from the Quora forum, overhauling the landing gear of a 737NG can cost anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000, with maintenance stretching over a period exceeding 45 days.
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