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F-16 canopy after a bird strike

A bird strike (sometimes birdstrike, bird hit, or BASH [bird aircraft strike hazard]) in aviation, is a collision between an airborne animal (most often a bird, but also sometimes another species) and a man made vehicle, especially aircraft. It is a common threat to aircraft safety and has caused a number of fatal accidents. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2036x1475, 624 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Bird strike ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2036x1475, 624 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Bird strike ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ... The raised canopy of a Vans RV-7A An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of aircraft. ... Aviation encompasses all the activities relating to airborne devices created by human ingenuity, generally known as aircraft. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Flying machine redirects here. ... A railing accidentally collapses at a college football game, spilling fans onto the sidelines An accident is something going wrong unexpectedly. ...

Event description

Bird strikes happen most often during take off or landing, or during low altitude flight. However, bird strikes have also been reported at high altitudes, some as high as 6000 to 9000 meters above ground level. The majority of aircraft - bird collisions occur near or on airports (90%, according to the ICAO) during takeoff, landing and associated phases. According to the FAA wildlife hazard management manual for 2005, less than 8% of strikes occur above 900 meters and 61% occur at less than 30 m (100 feet). A Ryanair Boeing 737 takes off from Bristol International Airport, England Take off is the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground (taxiing) to flying in the air (see flight), usually from a runway. ... MyTravel Airways Airbus A320 landing Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal or aircraft returns to the ground. ... The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ...

A hawk stuck in the nosecone of a C-130

View of fan blades of JT8D Jet engine after a bird strike.

The point of impact is usually any forward-facing edge of the vehicle. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1470, 493 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Bird strike ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1470, 493 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Bird strike ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and UK military forces. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 873 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 873 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Please see the file description page for further information. ... The Pratt & Whitney JT8D jet engine was introduced by Pratt & Whitney in February 1964 with the inaugural flight of the Boeings 727. ... A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ...

Jet engine ingestion is extremely serious due to the rotation speed of the engine fan and engine design. As the bird strikes a fan blade, that blade can be displaced into another blade and so forth, causing a cascading failure. Jet engines are particularly vulnerable during the takeoff phase when the engine is turning at very high speed.

In general, the force of the impact on an aircraft depends on the weight of the animal and the speed difference and direction at the impact. The energy of the impact increases with the square of the speed difference. Hence a low-speed impact of a small bird on a car windshield causes relatively little damage. High speed impacts, as with jet aircraft, can cause considerable damage and even catastrophic failure to the vehicle. However, according to the FAA only 15% of strikes (ICAO 11%) actually result in damage to the aircraft. The impact of a 5 kg (12 pound) bird at 240 km/h (150 mph) equals that of a 1/2 ton (1000 pound) weight dropped from a height of 3 meters (10 feet). Catastrophic failure is a sudden and total failure of some system from which recovery is impossible. ... “FAA” redirects here. ...

Bird strikes can damage vehicle components, or injure passengers. Flocks of birds are especially dangerous, and can lead to multiple strikes, and damage, within a very brief period. Depending on the damage, aircraft at low altitudes or during take off and landing often cannot recover in time and crash. A herd of Wildebeest A gaggle of Canada geese For other uses, see Herd (disambiguation). ...

In the USA, remains of the bird, usually a bloody goo called snarge, are sent to the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory to determine the species. ^[1] One flying organization with a larger than usual birdstrike risk is the Israeli Air Force, as Israel is on a major spring and autumn long-distance bird migration route. The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל, Zroa HaAvir VeHaḤalal, Air and Space Division, commonly known as חיל האוויר Hel HaAvir) is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces. ... Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys of varying distances undertaken by many species of birds. ...

Species

The animals most frequently involved in bird strikes are large birds with big populations, with geese and gulls causing most serious incidents. In the US reported strikes are divided between waterfowl (32%), gulls (28%), and raptors (17%) (Data from the BSC USA). The Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory has identified turkey vultures as the most damaging birds, followed by Canada geese and white pelicans, all very large birds. In terms of frequency, the laboratory most commonly finds Mourning Doves and Horned Larks involved in the strike. The largest numbers of strikes happen during the spring and fall migrations. Striking large land-bound animals, such as deer, can also be a problem to aircraft during take off and landing, and over 650 civil aircraft collisions with deer were reported in the U.S. between 1990 and 2004. Geese redirects here. ... “Seagull” redirects here. ... Falcated Duck at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands centre, Gloucestershire, England Wildfowl or waterfowl, also waterbirds, is the collective term for the approximately 147 species of swans, geese and ducks, classified in the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae. ... “Seagull” redirects here. ... Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) is the most common vulture in the Americas. ... For the Canadian outerwear manufacturer Canada Goose see Canada Goose (clothing) Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Canada Goose distribution, including native (dark tones) and introduced (light tones) populations Canada Goose summer: yellow Canada Goose all year: green Canada Goose winter: blue Cackling Goose summer: pink Subspecies Dusky Canada Goose Vancouver Canada... Binomial name Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758 The White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Great White Pelican is a bird in the pelican family. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Winter only (blue), summer only (light green), and year-round (dark green) range Subspecies See text The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family Columbidae. ... Binomial name Eremophila alpestris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris), called the Horned Lark in North America, breeds across much of North America, northernmost Europe and Asia and in the mountains of southeast Europe. ... Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys of varying distances undertaken by many species of birds. ... This article is about the ruminent animal. ...

Deer entangled in a landing gear

Strangely enough, vehicle-animal air collisions also sometimes include species that cannot fly. The Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory has identified frogs, turtles, and snakes as the animal in the "bird" strike. On one occasion they identified a cat at high altitude and on another a rabbit at a height of 550 metres (1800 feet).^[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2012x2895, 1060 KB) Deer and aircraft collision Source: Air Combat Command: File links The following pages link to this file: Bird strike ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2012x2895, 1060 KB) Deer and aircraft collision Source: Air Combat Command: File links The following pages link to this file: Bird strike ... This article is about the ruminent animal. ... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families The frogness babe is an amphibian in the order Anura (meaning tail-less from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin saltare, to jump). ... For other uses, see Turtle (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... For other uses, see Rabbit (disambiguation). ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

The most likely explanation for this incongruity is that the animal identified had been either eaten or carried aloft by a bird of prey, though there are also meteorological explanations, such as raining animals. Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ... // Meteorology (from Greek: μετέωρον, meteoron, high in the sky; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... Rain of fishes in Singapore, as described by local inhabitants Raining animals is a relatively rare meteorological phenomenon, although occurrences have been reported from many countries throughout history. ...

Countermeasures

There are three basic approaches to reduce the effect of bird strikes. The vehicles can be designed to be more bird resistant, the birds can be moved out of the way of the vehicle, or the vehicle can be moved out of the way of the birds.

Vehicle design

The ICE 3 has been hit by a bird while operating at high-speed.

Most large commercial jet engines include design features that ensure they can safely shut-down after "ingesting" a bird weighing up to 1.8 kg (4 lb). However, this is a 'stand alone' requirement, i.e., the engine must pass the test, not the aircraft. Multiple strikes on twin engine jet aircraft are very serious events. Multiple or large strikes require emergency action to control damage. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 667 pixel, file size: 255 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 667 pixel, file size: 255 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Siemens Velaro is a family of high-speed EMUs. ...

Modern jet aircraft structures must be able to withstand one four pound bird collision; the empennage (tail) must withstand one 8 pound bird collision. Cockpit windows on jet aircraft must be able to withstand one 4 pound bird collision without yielding or spawlding.

Given the increasing numbers of large flocking birds whose average weight is in excess of these certification numbers, aircraft/engine design mitigation is a very modest contribution to safety.

At first bird strike testing by manufacturers involved firing a bird carcass from a gas cannon and sabot system into the tested unit. The carcass was soon replaced with suitable density blocks, often gelatin, to ease testing. Currently testing is mainly conducted with computer simulation, although final testing usually involves some physical experiments. See birdstrike simulator for details. An APFSDS separating from its spindle sabot Anti-tank flechette round with its sabot A sabot refers to a device named for a shoe used in a firearm or cannon to fire a projectile or bullet that is smaller than the bore diameter. ... For the art collective, see Gelitin. ... It has been suggested that simulation software be merged into this article or section. ... A bird strike simulator simulates the impact of a bird with an aircraft. ...

Bird management

A UH-60 Black Hawk after a collision with a type of crane, and subsequent failure of the windshield

To reduce birdstrikes on takeoff and landing, airports are required to engage in bird management and control. This includes changes to habitat around the airport to reduce its attractiveness to birds.^[1] Vegetation which produces seeds, grasses which are favored by geese, manmade food, a favorite of gulls, all should be removed from the airport area. Trees and tall structures which serve as roosts at night for flocking birds or perches for raptors should be removed or modified to discourage bird use.^[2] ImageMetadata File history File links IAF_UH-60_after_birds_strike_outside. ... ImageMetadata File history File links IAF_UH-60_after_birds_strike_outside. ... For other uses of Blackhawk/Black Hawk, see Black Hawk. ...

Other approaches try to scare away the birds using frightening devices, for example sounds, lights, pyrotechnics, radio-controlled airplanes, decoy animals/corpses, lasers, degs etc.^[2]Firearms are also occasionally employed. Pyrotechnics is a field of study often thought synonymous with the manufacture of fireworks, but more accurately it has a wider scope that includes items for military and industrial uses. ... ParkZone Slo-V Radio-controlled airplanes (also called RC airplanes) are small airplanes that can be controlled remotely. ...

TNO a Dutch R&D Institute has developed the successful ROBIN (Radar Observation of Bird Intensity) for the Royal Netherlands Airforce at the end of the eighties of the last century, a near real-time monitoring system for flight movements of birds. At this moment TNO has developed a third version of ROBIN, utilizing the latest technologies. ROBIN identifies flocks of birds within the signals of large radar systems. This information is used to give airforce pilots timely warning during landing and take-off. Years of observation of bird migration with ROBIN has also provided a better insight into bird migration behaviour, which in turn has had a positive influence on the possibility to avert collisions with birds, and therefore on flight safety. This article is about a Dutch science organization. ...

Collisions decreased Ever since the implementation of the ROBIN system at the Royal Netherlands Airforce the number of collisions between birds and aircraft in the vicinity of military airbases has decreased by more than 50%.

A successful approach in recent years has been the utilization of dogs, including german sheperds, english pointers and border collies, to scare away birds and wildlife.^{[citation needed]} Another alternative is bird capture and relocation.

Falcons are sometimes used to harass the bird population, as for example on John F. Kennedy International Airport.^[1] At Manchester Airport in England the usual type of falcon used for this is a peregrine falcon/lanner falcon hybrid, as its habitual flight range is about the right size to cover the airport and not also much irrelevant land around. For other uses, see Falcon (disambiguation). ... , For the regional airport in Wisconsin, see John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport. ... For City Airport Manchester, UK, see City Airport Manchester. ... Binomial name Tunstall, 1771 Global range (shaded green, dark dots on islands) The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), occasionally known in North America as the Duck Hawk, is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 380–530 millimetres (15–21 in) long. ... Binomial name Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825 The Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. ...

An airport in New Zealand uses electrified mats to reduce the number of worms that attracted large numbers of sea gulls.^[1] For other uses, see Worm (disambiguation). ... Genera Pagophila Larus Rissa Creagus Xema Rhodostethia Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae and subfamily Lari. ...

Flight path

A UH-60 after a collision with a type of crane, and subsequent failure of the windshield as seen from the inside.

Pilots have very little training in wildlife avoidance nor is training required by any regulatory agency. However, they should not takeoff or land in the presence of wildlife, avoid migratory routes [1], wildlife reserves, estuaries and other sites where birds may congregate. When operating in the presence of bird flocks, pilots should seek to climb above 3,000 feet as rapidly as possible as most birdstrikes occur below 3,000 feet. ImageMetadata File history File links IAF_UH-60_after_birds_strike_inside. ... ImageMetadata File history File links IAF_UH-60_after_birds_strike_inside. ...

The US Military Aviation Hazard Advisory System uses a Bird Avoidance Model^[3] based on data from the Smithsonian Institution, historical patterns of bird strikes and radar tracking of bird activity.^[1] This model has been extremely successful. Prior to flight USAF pilots check for bird activity on their proposed low level route or bombing range. If bird activity is forecast to be high, the route is changed to one of lower threat. In the first year this BAM model was required as a preflight tool, the USAF Air Combat Command experienced a 70% drop in birdstrikes to its mission aircraft.

Incidents

The Federal Aviation Administration estimates the problem costs US aviation 600 million dollars annually and has resulted in over 200 worldwide deaths since 1988. In the United Kingdom the Central Science Laboratory estimates that, worldwide, the cost of birdstrikes to airlines is around US$1.2 billion annually. This cost includes direct repair cost and lost revenue opportunities while the damaged aircraft is out of service. Estimating that 80% of bird strikes are unreported, there were 4,300 bird strikes listed by the United States Air Force and 5,900 by US civil aircraft in 2003. “FAA” redirects here. ... USD redirects here. ... “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ...

The first reported bird strike was by Orville Wright in 1905, and according to their diaries Orville … flew 4,751 meters in 4 minutes 45 seconds, four complete circles. Twice passed over fence into Beard's cornfield. Chased flock of birds for two rounds and killed one which fell on top of the upper surface and after a time fell off when swinging a sharp curve. The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...

The first recorded bird strike fatality was reported in 1912 when aero-pioneer Cal Rodgers collided with a gull which became jammed in his aircraft controls. He crashed at Long Beach, California, was pinned under the wreckage and drowned. 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Calbraith Perry Rodgers (1879-1912) in 1911 Calbraith Perry Rodgers (1879-1912) in 1912 fatal crash Calbraith Perry Rodgers (January 12, 1879 – April 3, 1912) was a pioneer American aviator who was the first civilian to purchase a Wright Flyer and he was the first to make a transcontinental flight. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government  - Mayor Bob Foster Area  - City  65. ...

The greatest loss of life directly linked to a bird strike was on October 4, 1960, when Eastern Air Lines Flight 375, a Lockheed L-188 Electra flying from Boston, flew through a flock of common starlings during take off, damaging all four engines. The plane crashed shortly after take-off into Boston harbor, with 62 fatalities. Subsequently, minimum bird ingestion standards for jet engines were developed by the FAA. is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the defunct U.S. air carrier Eastern Air Lines. ... Eastern Air Lines Flight 375, registration N5533, was a Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft that crashed on takeoff from Boston, Massachusettss Logan International Airport on October 4, 1960. ... The Lockheed L-188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. ... Binomial name Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Starling or European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ...

The Space Shuttle Discovery also hit a bird during take-off on July 26, 2005, although the collision occurred early during take off and at low speeds, with no obvious damage to the shuttle. It is not clear if the bird survived. NASA also lost an astronaut, Theodore Freeman, to a bird strike, he was killed when a goose shattered the plexiglass cockpit of his T-38, resulting in shards being ingested by the engines leading to a fatal crash. Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of the three currently operational spacecraft in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Theodore Cordy Freeman (born February 18, 1930, in Haverford, Pennsylvania; died October 31, 1964 at Ellington Air Force Base, Houston, Texas) was a NASA astronaut and a captain in the United States Air Force. ...

Aircraft continue to be lost on a routine basis to birdstrikes. In the fall of 2006 the USAF lost a twin engine T-38 trainer to a bird strike (ducks) and in the October 2007 the US Navy lost a T-45 jet trainer in a collision with a bird.

In the summer of 2007 Delta Air Lines suffered serious incident in Rome, Italy, as one of its B-767 aircraft, on takeoff, ingested yellow legged gulls into both engines. Although the aircraft returned to Rome safely, both engines were damaged and had to be changed. United Air Lines suffered a twin engine bird ingestion by a B-767 on departure from Chicago's O'Hare Field in the spring of 2007. One engine caught fire and bird remains were found in the other engine.

In popular culture

• In the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, while remembering a quotation by Charlemagne, the title character's father downs an attacking aircraft by scaring a flock of birds into its flightpath with his umbrella.
• Among Japanese aviation engineers and pilots, birds sucked into a jet engine are referred as yakitori after the popular dish.^{[citation needed]}
• In the film Thirteen Days, Navy pilot William Ecker called the obvious damages on his aircraft "bird strikes" after the first low-level reconnaissance flight over Cuba in order to avoid international conflict as he was fired upon.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Julian Glover, Alison Doody, River Phoenix, and John Rhys-Davies. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... Yakitori being cooked Yakitori (焼き鳥, やきとり), lit. ... For the non-fiction book, see Thirteen Days (book). ... William Ecker (born April 6, 1924) Ecker was born in Omaha, Nebraska He served in the United States Navy from 1942 until 1974. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Wired Magazine: Bird Plus Plane Equals Snarge
2. ^ ^{a b} http://www.int-birdstrike.org/Standards_for_Aerodrome_bird_wildlife%20control.pdf
3. ^ US Bird avoidance model

See also

• Birdstrike simulator
• Foreign object damage

A bird strike simulator simulates the impact of a bird with an aircraft. ... For the song by Green Day, see F.O.D.. FOD damage to the compressor blades of a Honeywell LTS101 turboshaft engine on a Bell 222, caused by a small bolt that passed through the protective inlet screen. ...

External links

• International Bird Strike Committee
• Bird Strike Committee Canada
• BSC USA
• Birdstrike Control Program
• http://wildlife-mitigation.tc.faa.gov/public_html/index.html
• http://wildlife.pr.erau.edu/FAADatabase.htm
• Aviation Hazard Advisory System
• List of significant bird strikes
• Video of a jet engine ingesting a large bird
• ROBIN: Radar Observation of Bird Intensity

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Bird strike