[Wetekemieluth]

00:45 GMT, 1 August 2012 | The Daily Mail

An unidentified bird smashed into a United Airlines Boeing 737 as it descended into Denver
International Airport (DIA) Tuesday morning, leaving a giant gash in the nose of the aircraft.

Despite the mid-air collision, Flight 1475 landed safely at 9:09 am and was escorted to a gate on
the B concourse. The plane was traveling from Dallas/Fort Worth to Denver.

The plane’s pilots were aware of the bird strike and declared an emergency. They reported damage
to the jet’s horizontal stabilizer and airs peed indicators, but it had no bearing on the landing.



Airport officials said the bird crashed into the plane about 25 miles outside of DIA's property.

None of the 151 passengers on board was injured, Christen David. Photos of the damaged aircraft
show a large gash and dent under the cockpit windows.

Steve Cowell, an aviation expert and pilot, told ABC7 that the nose is the best part of plane a bird
could strike since it is largely empty of crucial electronic instruments.

Wildlife experts believe that the bird involved in the collision Tuesday morning was likely a large
goose or duck.



However, the exact species will be identified when officials from the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington analyze the remains of the unfortunate fowl, which were recovered from the surface
of the jet.

Paul Eschenfelder, adjunct professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, told ABC News that
modern airline engines are designed in a way that enables them to ingest a four-pound bird
without jeopardizing the safety of the people in the plane.

However, Eschenfelder said none of the engines currently in use are built to survive a close
encounter with a critter weighing between eight-15lbs.