Boeing 737 incident near Birgi, Trapani, Sicily, Italy, It, September 29, 2009
On September 29, 2009 at about 8:15 am local time, a Boeing 737, registered EIDWD, suffered minor damage in an incident near Birgi, Trapani, Sicily, Italy (Trapani Birgi airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 171 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2009 · about 8:15 am local time
- Place
- Birgi, Trapani, Sicily, Italy, Italy · Trapani Birgi
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 171 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 800 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- EIDWD · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 29, 2009 at 8:15 UTC, a Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration number EI-DWD encountered and struck a flock of birds during takeoff from runway 31L at Trapani Birgi Airport (LICT), Sicily, Italy. The engines ingested some birds causing damage to the fan blades of both engines. The crew performed an air turn back to Trapani Birgi Airport (LICT). An uneventful landing was performed and no injuries to any of the 6 crew and 165 passengers were reported. The accident is being investigated by the Italian Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV). Further information pertaining to this event may be obtained from: Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo Via A. Benigni, 53 00156 Rome Italy Tel.: 39 068 207 8219 / 39 068 207 8200 Fax: 39 068 273 672 This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information obtained for, or released by the Government of Italy.
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
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: LICT Trapani Birgi at 8:15 am
- Destination: EBCI Brussels
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 31L
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 165 |
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.
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.