Explained: The Risk of Birds Colliding With Aircraft Midair

The news about birds colliding with aircraft in midair can send shivers down your spine especially when your traveling plans are underway. Second to turbulence, it is one of the hazards in the aviation industry. Thousands of birds collide with aircraft every year resulting in injuries and damages.

On June 18 this year, a Virgin Australia flight was forced to make an emergency landing in New Zealand after one of its engines caught fire due to a suspected bird strike. This was barely two months when flamingos collided with an Emirates passenger jet shortly before it touched down in Mumbai.

As a regular traveler, I understand how such news can send shivers down your spine when your flying plans are underway. However, most cases of midair bird strikes are always under control with no major threat to the passengers. Let me explain how this happens and the risks behind it.

How birds collide with aircraft

Birds naturally fly when moving from one place to another just as we walk around. Many migratory birds like the Lake Bogoria flamingos in Kenya make long journeys traveling between their nesting and feeding grounds. The flocks can range from a few birds to hundreds of thousands.

It’s unfortunate when their flight path intersects with that of an aircraft as it is the main cause of midair collision. Approximately 97% of bird strikes occur at or near an airport while the aircraft is landing or taking off. However, some cases have been reported as high as 4,500m (15,000 feet).

In most collisions, birds fly into aircraft engines or hit and damage the windscreen. This can result in an emergency landing or, in rare cases, a crash. To put it in context, 1,696 bird strikes were reported in the US. Of these, only 12 resulted in severe damage to an aircraft ((less than 1%)

The main risk of birds colliding with aircraft

Bird strikes rarely occur at higher altitudes and in a few cases, people get injured or lose their lives. A particularly deadly incident occurred in October 1960 when Eastern Airlines Flight 375, was hit by birds just 20 seconds after takeoff from Boston Logan International Airport.

The aircraft lost power and crashed into Boston Harbour, killing 62 of the 72 people on board. This has remained to be the worst bird strike in the history of the U.S. as explained by the Boston Magazine.

In another incident that took place in 1988, several birds flew into the engines of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft during takeoff from Bahir Dar, Ethiopia which resulted in a crash that claimed 35 lives of the 104 people on board.

Bird strikes can cause injuries as well. In 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River after colliding with a flock of Canadian geese shortly after takeoff. The plane’s engines sucked in the birds after and lost power. All the 155 passengers and crew were rescued by boats but 100 of them sustained injuries.

Ten years later a Russian passenger plane carrying 226 passengers had to make an emergency landing in a cornfield near Moscow after striking a flock of gulls. As reported by Aljazeera, only 3 people were injured, including nine children. This was miraculous.

Apart from injuries and loss of lives, midair bird strikes have caused aircraft damages that amount to millions of U.S. dollars. According to an analysis by the Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty Insurance Company, damages worth $340m have been reported between 2013 to 2018.

How bird strikes can be prevented

Vigilance by the airport authorities can help in preventing bird-plane collisions, particularly during takeoffs and landings. This involves using a radar system to detect the presence of birds and passing the information to the pilots for appropriate action or adjusting their flight paths.

Airports and the surrounding areas should be fully equipped with better bird deterrent methods including the use of distress signals, or sounds and lights that scare birds. Airports should also be constructed away from sanctuaries and habitats with dense populations of birds.

There is always a higher risk of bird or animal collision for planes when landing or taking off near the coasts and areas with wildlife activities. For countries with the highest bird strike rates such as Australia, all the relevant authorities must remain extra vigilant to avoid injuries and loss of lives.

Final thought

It’s pretty normal to be nervous about flying, especially when you hear about cases of bird strikes and midair turbulence. These are well-known incidents in aviation and pilots are trained on how to perfectly handle them without losing causing injuries or endangering lives.

It’s uncommon to hear about bird-plane collisions but they rarely happen especially when the aircraft is cruising at higher altitudes. Airport authorities in various countries are already on high alert to prevent any bird strike when the plane is landing or taking off.