What If I Hit an Animal with My Airplane?

You do not lose your certificate or go to prison for an accidental midair with a bald eagle—or any other bird.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 12:35 PM ET

Verified

Pilots hitting an animal while in the traffic pattern should report the incident to the airport manager. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Pilots will not lose their certificate or go to prison for an accidental midair collision with a bird, including a bald eagle.
Any bird strike incident should be reported to the state fish and game department to assist in tracking animal migration patterns.
If the bird encounter occurs within the airport's traffic pattern, it should also be reported to the airport manager for wildlife management and security purposes.

See a mistake? Contact us.

QUESTION: I am learning to fly in a place where there are lots of bald eagles around. I’ve seen a few in the air and I worry about hitting them. What happens if I hit an eagle? The guys at the airport told me you go to prison and lose your pilot certificate—is this true?

Answer: No, you do not lose your certificate or go to prison for an accidental midair with a bald eagle—or any other bird.

READ MORE: Decoding the Weather

You should, however, report the incident to the state fish and game department. They will want to know the place, date, and time of the incident, because one of the things they do is track animal migration patterns.