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Can bird hits on airplanes be a serious problem? – All about Aircraft
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Can bird hits on airplanes be a serious problem?
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For all aircraft related questions see the All about Aircraft section.
Can bird hits on airplanes be a serious problem?
Damage to airplanes from bird hits is about $400 million a year.
It's not the speed with which the bird flies that makes it a live cannon ball, but the relative velocity with which it strikes the aircraft. For instance, a 15 lbs bird striking the windscreen of an airplane flying at a speed of 250 knots has a relative impact of 15 tonnes. A 30 lbs goose striking the windscreen of a plane flying at 200 knots (in circuit speed) creates a relative impact of 20 tonnes, which could cause serious damage to aircraft and pose a risk to lives of passengers,'' Capt Kapoor said.
Studies reveal that 90 per cent of bird hit incidents occur up to a level of 3,000 feet. Of these, 60 per cent occur up to a level of 1,000 feet, when chances of remedial action by a pilot are almost nil.
The real problems from bird hits happen when the birds are sucked into the engine while in flight. Not only does this have the potential to do significant damage to the engines (and this could cost a lot in repair), but it could also endanger the flight if the bird hit results in the engine becoming inoperational. Well, engines can withstand the “sucking in” of birds to a considerable extent, but the danger of an engine malfunction owing to a bird hit does exist.
The worst-ever bird strike accident occurred in Boston, USA, on October 4, 1960, when a Lockheed Electra aircraft flew into a flock of starlings and crashed, killing all the 62 occupants. Among recent air accidents due to bird hits, the crash of a Boeing E-3 AWACS, which took off from the Elmdort US Air Force base at Anchorage, Alaska hitting a flock of Canada Geese killing 43 of the crew member son September 22, 1995, comes to the mind.
Another crash took place on July 15, 1996. A Belgian Airforce C-130 Hercules aircraft approaching Eindhoven, Netherlands, crashed after being hit by a flock of starlings, killing 34 of the 41 occupants on board. More than 200 military aircraft have been lost due to bird hits till today the world over. The Israeli Air Force admitted that it suffered more financial loss as a result of bird hits than due to all the wars they have fought so far. Are these accidents not enough to open our eyes?
While bird hits can perhaps never be fully eliminated, they can be reduced to some extent by making sure that there are no garbage dumping grounds or dumping grounds for carcasses near airports and also minimizing the number of trees very close to the airport.
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