So why is it that so many pilots feel it necessary (as I found out recently) to reduce speed to minimum clean or lower, refuse ATC speed control above this and try to stay as high as possile for as long as possible during the approach, even though no restriction is stated anywhere?? They must have got the idea from somewhere?? Was there a restriction on their previous aircraft?? Was this a problem that used to exist but has been solved now by modern manufacturing methods?????
The issue with higher speed at low altitudes places the intuitive risk way out of kilter with the historical experience regarding the airframe. It's not an engine issue since higher aircraft speeds, above 200 kts, often will reduce the fan blade damage. the larger issue is the likelihood of causing significant structural damage and taking out multiple critical hydraulic systems with multiple birds. heretofor the aircraft design, meeting the existing spec, accomodated this risk statisticaly. However everything has its limit and now days with the increased robustness of the new engines, the most likely acrchiles heel in a multiple bird strike above V1 is the aircraft itself. Increasing the aircraft speed above 250 kts at low altitude flock encounters greatly increases this risk statisticaly.