Blob of bird on flap, common occurrence?

[OlaM]

(reposted from passengers & slf)

Mid-July I flew with Norwegian from Stansted to Flesland after attending the magnificent Flying Legends 2005 show.

I sat just behind the starboard wing and when the flaps deployed fully for landing I noticed a blob of feathers and blood on the flap.

It was on the inner section, creeping out on top of the rear most panel. I couldn't see any damage to the panel but it was pretty obvious that the feathered aviator had passed pretty close to the engine and that its remains had been there since at least the landing at Stansted.

I wanted to take a pic but my camera was in the overhead compartment and my trembling fear of cabin crew authority prevented me from unbuckling and retrieving it during the approach.

While disembarking I told the stewardess who opened the cockpit door so I could tell the F/O. He looked at me like I was trying to explain quantum mechanics through yodeling. I mentioned the exact location and that panel seemed undamaged, he shrugged and thanked for the info.

Questions:

How common are birdstrikes really?

If a bird is lodged between the two rearmost flap panels, will it be completely hidden from inspection when the flaps are retracted? (737)

Since it hit the flap in landing config, it's obvious that it was sitting there for at least one turn around. How often will the flaps get inspected fully extended?

[jumpseater]

How common are birdstrikes really?
Difficult to answer, but it will vary significantly and depend on the environment inside and outside the fence, volume of traffic, species, time of day/season/year and bird control measures in place. Each airfield is in effect its own micro environment and two airfields a few kilometers apart may have entirely different bird populations and problems to deal with.

If a bird is lodged between the two rearmost flap panels, will it be completely hidden from inspection when the flaps are retracted? (737)
Not sure but possibly

Since it hit the flap in landing config, it's obvious that it was sitting there for at least one turn around. How often will the flaps get inspected fully extended?
Can't recall if thats done on a 'daily', I'll try and find out.

I mentioned the exact location and that panel seemed undamaged, he shrugged and thanked for the info. Good for you, hopefully they got an engineer to have a look before departure. Don't be discouraged from reporting thiongs like that even if it means yodelling. I had a similar event, with a loose panel on the flap mech that buzzed and vibrated on flap deployment. I could feel it throught the floor as well as see and hear it through the window on approach. The senior told the F/O who wasnt interested, so I pressed the point, as I do have some limited knowledge and knew what I had seen needed to at least be looked at. The Capt came out of the cockpit and asked what the problem was, and I explained to him what I had seen felt and heard. I also showed him my airline pass and explained that i had some time on the hangar floor in the dim and distant past.
Ah he said, they worked on those flap tracks last night, 1st sector this was, thanked me and gave the F/O the filthiest look you could imagine! Capt had obviously read the tech log and had a handover from the engineers on the previous nights work!

[barit1]

FAA has been collecting raw data (i.e. feathers, to identify bird type/est. weight) for a few decades. Don't know if they've published a report. If so, it would be to help quantify the inflight risk of birdstrikes.

[Techman]

Between 1990 and 2000 the FAA reported some 33000 birdstrikes. It is estimated that birdstrikes occur about once every one thousand flights.
80-90% happen below 500 ft.
15-20% of birdstrikes cause damage to the aircraft. Most often to the engines, as 50% of engine birdstrikes cause damage.

80% hits the nose of the aircraft (radome, windshield) and engines (Fairly even spilt between the two). The rest hits the wings, fuselage, gear and tail, in that order.

Birdstrikes are most likely to occur in Europe(42%), followed by North America(32%), Asia(19%), Africa(4%) and South America/Caribbean(2%).

[The African Dude]

Birdstrikes are most likely to occur in Europe(42%), followed by North America(32%), Asia(19%), Africa(4%) and South America/Caribbean(2%). Is that % of birdstrikes or % of flights? And are these only the ones reported to the FAA? I'm curious because I thought that presence of large birds at airfields is considered to be a greater problem in Africa, especially for bush flying, than in many other places on the list above.

[Ranger 1]

Last year we had 54 birdstrikes it sounds a lot, & to some it may appear we have a bird problem here which is NOT the case.
The high stirke rate indicates a high level of reporting, the composition of Birdstrikes is the important bit, our data base for last year, of reported strikes contains a large amount of single Non priority group birds which means they are of the group which are small & light weight, & do not congregate in large flocks. Although we have had the odd single bird from the priority group struck which will certainly happen with the odd bird overflying.
The problem begins when you have multiple strikes involving the priority group, which indcates that a build up of birds on the airfield has been allowed to happen.
All Birdstrikes are reported via the CAA reporting system this also includes possible strikes where no remains were found after a report by a crew, & if remains are found anywhere on the airfield which increases the Strike reporting rate.
With regard to reporting something you see from the cabin as passenger I would not be afraid to do at all the crew should be fine about it :ok: