Flocking Together

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 07:05 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Bird strikes are a long-standing and significant threat to aircraft, with over 90% occurring at or below 3000 feet AGL, frequently near airports.
Consequences range from airframe damage for piston aircraft to engine failure for turbine engines, and can result in fatal pilot incapacitation due to windshield penetration.
Many aircraft, particularly older models certified under CAR 3, lack minimum standards for windshield bird penetration resistance, making them vulnerable to such incidents.
Pilots should be aware of migratory flyways and bird concentrations, employing strategies like climbing to avoid birds and reviewing engine-out procedures when hazards are known.

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I hit a bird once. I was flying a Piper Arrow II, on short final, with landing gear and full flaps extended, when I saw the bird ahead of the airplane. It was maneuvering and, from my perspective, flew in a circle as we neared each other, then disappeared under the left wing. I heard a muffled thump as it went by. I still had three green lights and the airplane remained controllable, so I landed.

After shutting down, I inspected the left wing and landing gear, finding a trace of blood and a very small feather associated with a slight depression in the wing’s leading edge. The bird hit the outboard portion of the grille covering the left wing’s fresh-air inlet, where the wing root fairing joins the Arrow II’s leading edge. History did not record its fate. It did, however record that the first reported bird strike involved Orville Wright, in 1905. In other words, bird strikes have been a “thing” since the beginning.