Event DCA25FA148

Factual narrative

On March 1, 2025, at 0800 eastern standard time, FedEx flight 3609, a Boeing 767-300F, powered by two General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan engines, registration number N178FE, struck birds during initial climb after takeoff from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, New Jersey. There were no injuries to the 2 crew and 1 passenger on board. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 domestic cargo flight from EWR to Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Indianapolis, Indiana. The flight crewmembers reported that after takeoff and while climbing through an altitude of about 500 ft, the first officer (FO), who was the flying pilot, saw three white birds to the left side and underneath the airplane. He called “Birds!” and immediately thereafter heard an “abrupt bang” and the airplane experienced moderate to severe vibrations. The FO began a right turn back towards the airport and asked the captain to declare an emergency and advise Air Traffic Control (ATC) that they were returning to EWR. The captain checked the engine indications “which soon displayed right engine damage including fire indications (fire bell, warning lights, discrete fire light on the right fuel control) and an R ENGINE FIRE message on the Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) display”. As the FO continued to fly, the captain began the quick reference checklist (QRC) for the ‘ENGINE FIRE or Engine Severe Damage or Separation’, which resulted in the shutdown of the No. 2 (right engine) and discharge of one fire bottle. After the engine was shutdown, the airplane “flew much smoother” and the noise level reduced substantially. As the captain continued through the follow-up quick reference handbook (QRH) procedure, the fire indications persisted, and he discharged the 2nd fire bottle. However, the fire indications remained present for the rest of the flight. The crew asked the passenger, who was type rated in the airplane, to move to the first observer seat and assist with checklists and airplane monitoring. During the base traffic pattern leg, the captain took control of the airplane from the FO, who assumed the pilot monitoring duties. After issuing the landing clearance, ATC initially advised that it appeared as though the fire on the right engine had gone out. Shortly afterward ATC called and advised there was fire visible on the right engine. After landing, the captain stopped the airplane on the runway, shut down the left engine and contacted the aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) responders on the tower frequency. ARFF advised that fire was still visible, and they began applying water. Soon after, all the fire indications in the cockpit ceased. After receiving an “all clear” from the ARFF responders, the crew exited the airplane via the crew stairs. A post accident examination of the airplane revealed bird remnants on the No. 1 engine nacelle (on the inside and outside of the inlet) as well as on sections of the engine spinner, fan blades, inlet and outlet guide vanes, the thrust reverser blocker doors, and on the drag link arms. All the fan blades were present and whole, several of the fan blades exhibited round soft-body airfoil leading-edge impacts and blade tip bending. The nacelle inlet lip skin was dented/impacted at about the 9:00 o’clock position with evidence of bird remains at the 2:30 o’clock position but no impact damage. Bird remnants were present on the No. 2 engine spinner and fan blades, and on the thrust reverser blocker door drag links. All of the fan blades were present and exhibited a combination of leading edge and airfoil hard-body impact, missing material, gouging, tip rub, rips and tears, and bending in both the direction opposite of rotation and in the direction of rotation. One blade was fractured just outboard of the mid-span shroud. The inlet inner barrel liner exhibited multiple impact marks, holes, areas of missing material, trenching, and embedded metallic material, around the entire circumference. Figure 1. Picture of the inlet of engine No. 2 (right engine). Several through-hole penetrations were also noted in the inlet outer barrel. The outer skin of the turbine exhaust sleeve departed the engine and was recovered in a grassy field near Interstate 95 along the airplane’s flight path. The No. 2 engine was heavily damaged by fire. Sooting and thermal distress were present 360° circumferentially from the aft flange of the aft fan case to the rear flange of the combustion case. Sooting was also present along the length of the top of the engine from the 11:00 – 1:00 o’clock position. Thermal distress consisted of consumed electrical wire outer sheathing and isolator grommets, as well as damaged or consumed wire clamp cushions. Portions of some air, oil, and fuel tubes were consumed by fire. Figure 2. Left and right sides of engine No. 2. The right side of the airplane exhibited multiple small impact marks in the horizontal stabilizer, fuselage, and the wing control surfaces, consistent with debris liberated from the No 2 engine. None of this damage met the definition of substantial damage or affected the flight control system of the airplane. Qualified parties were invited to participate in the investigation. These included the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Express, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and General Electric Aerospace. In accordance with the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, an Accredited Representative from the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board of Switzerland, the State of Manufacture for the engine vibration monitor, was appointed to support the investigation, with Paker Meggitt as a technical advisor. The following NTSB specialists were assigned to investigate the accident: Powerplants, Flight Data Recorder (FDR), and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). The FDR and CVR were sent to the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Laboratory in Washington, DC. The investigation is continuing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12