A Bird Strike at 1,000 Feet: Air Canada Jazz 8735's Return to Pearson

An Air Canada Jazz regional jet struck what its crew believed was a bird moments after departing Toronto, and rather than press on to Cleveland with an engine vibrating for reasons they couldn't fully diagnose in flight, they turned around, had it checked, and were back in the air within the hour.

A Strike Right After Departure

Flight AC8735, an Embraer E175SU carrying 53 passengers, had just climbed through about 1,000 feet after departing Toronto Pearson when the crew reported striking a white object — almost certainly a bird, based on the altitude, the description, and how common bird strikes are in exactly this phase of flight, when aircraft are low, relatively slow, and climbing through the altitude band where birds are most likely to be encountered.

A PAN-PAN, Not a Mayday

The strike produced elevated vibration on the No. 1 engine. The crew declared a PAN-PAN — the internationally recognized urgency call, one step below a full Mayday distress declaration — and told controllers the engine appeared to otherwise be running normally aside from the vibration itself. That distinction matters: an engine that's vibrating but still producing normal power and instrument indications is a "let's check this before we fly three hours over open terrain" situation, not necessarily a "we need to land immediately" one — but the crew chose the conservative path anyway rather than press on to Cleveland.

Back to Pearson, Then Back in the Air

ATC cleared the aircraft to climb to 5,000 feet and vectored it back to Pearson, where it landed on Runway 06L without further incident, met by emergency crews for a standard post-strike inspection. Ground crews cleared the aircraft, and it departed again for Cleveland less than an hour after landing — a fast turnaround consistent with an inspection finding no significant damage requiring extended maintenance.

Investigation Status

As a Canadian-registered aircraft departing a Canadian airport, this incident falls under the Transportation Safety Board of Canada rather than the NTSB. Air Canada Jazz has not released a public statement detailing the extent of any engine damage found.

This reconstruction was researched from official investigation records where they exist, the original air traffic control recording, and contemporary reporting. The aircraft movement, timeline and written account were assembled independently by Flight Follower. Where an investigation is open or no probable cause has been published, the account says so rather than offering one.

Timeline

Accident Facts

Sources

• FODNews, "Air Canada Jazz E175 Bird Strike Triggers PAN-PAN"