Airbus A319-111 incident near Kansas City, Missouri, November 15, 2009
On November 15, 2009, a Airbus A319-111, registered N924FR, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Kansas City, Missouri (Kansas City International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 130 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight engine ingestion of one or more Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2009
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri · Kansas City International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 130 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus A319-111 · all A319-111s on the register
- Registration
- N924FR · no longer on the register · serial 2030
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a flock of birds shortly after takeoff as it was climbing through 4,260 feet at 252 knots. The right engine spooled down to flight idle. When the crew attempted to advance the throttle, there were a series of compressor stalls. Passengers said they saw fireballs being ejected from the engine. The crew declared an emergency, returned to the airport, and landed uneventfully. The bird remains were identified as Lesser Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) with an average weight of 5.3 pounds.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Birdstrike during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (climb to cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Crew member
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
Crew member
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm 56 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Frontier Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: MCI Kansas City MO
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.62 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from MCI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 125 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N924FR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.