Devil,
It is the logic (if you can call it that.....) the FAA uses for thinking they should "classify" the data that scares me!
The NTSB told them Bird Strike Reporting should be made mandatory with plenty of good reasons....which I agree with. If we are to use that data as compiled now, just how much faith do you have as to its value if it is only a limited sample.
As they noted the species of bird is seldom reported thus how can one tell if it is a migratory bird or a local bird population that is cause of the problem at certain airports or fly ways?
Passengers probably rate bird strikes somewhere about the absolute bottom of their concerns when choosing an airline, aircraft, or destination for their trips.....if at all!
I wonder if all of the known bird strikes that resulted in shattered wind screens on helicopters have been reported so analytical studies could have been done to document the lack of adequate testing and design of helicopter wind screens. Perhaps the FAA design critieria would have changed over the years if the studies had shown the weakness in the windscreens and certification standards?
Why would we not want to file a two minute report after a bird strike....particularly one that resulted in the loss of a windscreen or damage to an engine?