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 are increasing significantly, posing serious safety risks, causing hundreds of deaths and aircraft destructions, and costing hundreds of millions annually.
The FAA has been researching solutions for decades and is currently focusing on a pulsing ultraviolet (UV) LED light, which can be installed in aircraft landing lights.
Initial research and testing of the UV LED lights indicate they are effective in alerting birds to an aircraft's presence and encouraging them to move away, potentially preventing strikes.
While promising, further testing is still needed to evaluate the UV LED technology in various conditions and to facilitate its eventual widespread adoption for aviation safety.

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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.