FAA Researching UV LED Lights for Prevention of Increasing Bird Strikes

The UV LED light the FAA is testing is housed in traditional aircraft landing lights and is compatible with older aircraft.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 04:42 PM ET

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According to the FAA, research indicates that mounting a UV LED light on landing gear on the exterior of the aircraft could potentially stop bird strikes before they occur. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Bird strikes on aircraft have significantly increased in recent years, rising by 33% in 2021 alone, causing substantial financial losses ($328 million in 2021), aircraft downtime, and historically, numerous fatalities and aircraft destructions.
Most bird strikes occur during daylight, at or below 500 feet AGL, with larger bird species posing a greater risk for significant aircraft damage.
The FAA is actively researching prevention methods, with a promising solution being the installation of pulsing ultraviolet (UV) LED lights on aircraft, which initial tests indicate can effectively alert birds and cause them to move away, potentially preventing collisions.

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Bird strikes are up by as much as 33 percent in recent years. Could an ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED) installed on general aviation aircraft help prevent dangerous bird strikes? According to the FAA, research indicates that mounting a pulsing UV LED light housed in a traditional landing light on the exterior of the aircraft could alert birds of the aircraft’s position, potentially stopping bird strikes before they have an opportunity to occur.

Bird and wildlife strikes are expensive and potentially deadly for GA and commercial aircraft. Between 1988 and 2021, wildlife strikes were responsible for killing more than 301 people and destroying about 300 aircraft, according to the FAA.