An AeroVIP Dornier DO-228 suffered catastrophic damage to an engine as the flight came in to land at Cascais aerodrome.
The bird-strike happened at an altitude of around 100 feet when the aircraft engine was hit by a passing seagull which was sucked into the engine.
The engine stopped on impact with the bird and the captain immediately followed emergency procedure and feathered the propeller blades, landing safely with 11 passengers on board.
The aeroplane had taken off from Bragança on April 14th and was heading to Vila Real with stops at Viseu and Cascais. The Office for Prevention and Investigation into Aircraft Accidents reported that the Dornier did not land at Viseu due to poor weather conditions and headed on to Cascais where the accident occurred.
The investigators also reported that AeroVIP’s engineers found significant damage to the engine, parts of which have been removed for replacement or repair.
There will be a formal investigation into the potentially fatal incident. The operator also runs the Portimão to Bragança route.
