Bird strikes are dangerous but not always deadly

More than 80 percent of aviation bird strikes do not result in any damage to aircraft, according to The Port Authority of NY & NJ.
But that was not the case on Thursday, January 15 as US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River after the plane apparently collided with a flock of geese about five miles from the airport at an altitude of approximately 3,000 to 4,000 feet -causing both of the craft’s engines to fail. Everyone on board survived.
The so-called “Miracle on the Hudson,” it seems, drew attention to the issue of bird strikes.
“Birds are a problem in general,” said Mark Abbey, an air traffic controller at Republic Airport who is himself a licensed pilot and flight instructor.
Abbey was in the cockpit of an Airbus A320 as an Observer Member of Crew (OMC) over the Hudson when a single bird hit the windshield. Birds do not show up on radar, he said.
Though there was no damage, he said, “The cumulative effect of [a large flock of birds] can cause the engine to fail.”
A 12-pound Canada goose struck by a 150-mph aircraft at lift-off generates the force of a 1,000-pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet, according to the web site birdstrike.org.
“Bird and other wildlife strikes to aircraft annually cause well over $600 million in damage to U.S. civil and military aviation,” according to the site. “Furthermore, these strikes put the lives of aircraft crew members and their passengers at risk: over 219 people have been killed worldwide as a result of wildlife strikes since 1988.”
Steve Coleman, a Port Authority spokesperson, told The Queens Courier that in 2003, an aircraft taking off from LaGuardia struck a flock of at least five geese, ingesting one or two into the engine. The craft was diverted to JFK, where it landed safely, though it had “extensive damage, including a 20” x 36” wide depression on the side of the nose.”
Currently, The Port Authority follows a federally approved program to control bird populations at LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports. LaGuardia even has a program that focuses specifically on controlling Canada geese.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) program contains several components, including controlling bird populations, shooting and trapping birds and managing bird habitats. Some of the methods used under the program include egg oiling, diverting birds with pyrotechnics and removing nests and natural vegetation.
“The program has been very effective,” according to the agency. “Bird strikes have been decreasing as a result of our efforts.”
However, following the near-tragedy, Stephen Sigmund, Chief of Public and Government Affairs of The Port Authority, said, “We will continue to work with our federal partners to seek ways to strengthen this program.”