1. Myths, Mitigations and Discussion
Andy Foster, CFI-S presents:
Bird Strikes
Myths, Mitigations and Discussion

2. Overview
Bird strikes prove that KE=1/2 MV2 is a valid equation. (Kinetic Energy = one half times the mass times the velocity squared.)
A 12­ pound Canada goose struck by a 150 ­mph airplane at liftoff generates the kinetic energy of a 1,000­ pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet.
Or as the US Navy used to say it…”one small bird can tear hell out of an airplane”.

3. Overview
Though not high on the list of fatal accident causes, bird strikes have killed close to 300 people since we started flinging ourselves into the sky in machines .
The first recorded bird strike was reported by the Wright brothers in 1905; the first bird strike fatality was in 1912.
One of the most famous bird strike events was the “Miracle on the Hudson” water landing, January 15, 2009, involving a US Airways Airbus
We’re here today to discuss the risk from bird strikes and what we can do about them.
How many of you have had a bird strike?

4. Personal Experiences
Bird ingested down port intake of an F-14A while performing low-level training in the Philippines.
Did not FOD the engine; air ramp system ducted bird out the top.
Flight Design CTSW canopy struck by bird.
Aircraft being operated by renter, about 1500 ft AGL just SW of KLVJ
Pilot never saw the bird before impact.

5. Personal Experiences

6. Personal Experiences

7. Personal Experiences

8. Personal Experiences Pilot was uninjured.
Sunglasses protected him from eye injury from flying plexiglass sharps.
Flew the airplane first and immediately returned to the field.
I submitted a strike report and sent feather samples to the Smithsonian.
Bird was identified as a Chimney Swift.
Length: 4.7 to 5.9 in
Wingspan: 11 – 12 in.
Wt: 0.60 to 1.06 ounces
Speed: up to 150 mph (130 knots)

9. The Numbers Bird strikes are actually common.
14,496 collisions with wildlife occurred in the US during 2017; most of those were bird strikes. (13,625 were with birds; 409 were bats, 258 were with mammals (deer and coyotes, mostly), and 57 were with reptiles.)
From 1990 – 2017, there were 187,343 bird strikes (193,969 total strikes with wildlife)
123,262 were with commercial air carrier aircraft (Rate of per 100K movements)
21,136 were with general aviation aircraft (Rate of 0.97 per 100K movements)
Bird strike numbers are generally increasing.
In 1990, there were 334 strikes for GA; in 2017, there were 1303.
More birds are in the air because of better conservation efforts.

10. The Numbers
Most bird strikes are relatively benign, but there are exceptions.
For GA, from , of the 123,262 strikes; 9,722 caused damage.
70 aircraft were destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
Wildlife strikes were responsible for 33 human fatalities ( ).
32 of the 33 were due to bird strikes.

11. The Numbers
97% of bird strikes occur below 3500 ft. AGL (FAA 2017 data).
37% occur of all strikes occur at 0 ft AGL
36% occur at ft AGL
15% occur at ft AGL
6% occur at ft AGL
3% occur at ft AGL
All other altitude ranges account for an additional 1% or less of the total.
The highest recorded bird strike was at 37,000 feet.

12. The Numbers
A statistical breakdown of where they hit the airplane ( FAA data):
Windshield – 16%
Nose – 14%
Wing/Rotor – 14%
Engine – 12%
Fuselage – 12%
Landing Gear – 4%
Propeller – 2%
Tail – 1%
Light – 1%

13. Bird Strike Myths
According to recently published research on bird strikes, these are the myths:
Birds don’t fly at night.
Birds don’t fly in poor visibility, such as in clouds, fog, rain, or snow.
Birds can detect airplane landing lights and weather radar and avoid the airplane.
Airplane colors and jet engine spinner markings help to repel birds.
Birds seek to avoid airplanes because of aerodynamic and engine noise.
Birds dive to avoid an approaching airplane.
Don’t count on any of these to keep you safe!

14. Mitigations
Keep up a GOOD lookout -90% outside, 10% inside and scan from wingtip to wingtip!
Be looking for anything you can hit—including birds!
Put distance between you and any bird you see.
Get as high as practical as soon as practical.
Most strikes occur in the vicinity of an airport and below 3500 feet,
Don’t fly low over wildlife preserves or garbage dumps.
Avoid known migratory routes.
Slow down as much as you can in areas where birds are spotted.

15. Mitigations
Note bird activity before takeoff and on the landing approach.
If during takeoff, delay takeoff or switch to another runway.
If on landing, reduce speed as much as possible.
Check with your airport to see if they have a Wildlife Mitigation Plan.
Oppose any landfills or nature preserves within 5 nm of your airport.

16. If you have a bird strike…
FLY THE AIRPLANE!
Assess damage to you, your passengers, and your airplane.
If the bird hit the wing, stall speed may be affected.
For damage you can see, what could it cause?
What can you do to mitigate it?
Don’t assume you can see all the damage.
Listen and feel
If anything is out of kilter, land and inspect.
Declare an Emergency as needed.
File a bird strike report with the FAA when feasible. (

17. Discussion… Have you had a bird strike?
Where were you and in what kind of aircraft?
Day or night?
What kind of weather?
What damage did it do?
How did you handle it?
What were your lessons learned?

18. Resources
FAA Wildlife Hazard Mitigation webpage:
Includes strike reporting and data
FAA Wildlife Strike Database:

19. Resources Embry Riddle Center for Wildlife and Aviation:
Bird Strike Committee USA:
Air Force Safety Center Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH):