Racing pigeons blamed after investigation into emergency landing

[747FOCAL]

Soem pretty funny reporter comments in this one. (70 MPH makes it hard for a pilot to swerve around them.......ROFL)




Racing pigeons blamed after investigation into emergency landing
30/08/2005 - 13:34:15

A Boeing 737 jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Dublin Airport after one of its engines was struck by a flock of racing pigeons.

There were 103 passengers aboard the two-engine flight from Dublin to Bristol but the pilot managed to land the plane safely on one engine.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU), in its report published today on the April 2003 incident, said bird strikes by racing pigeons had caused plane crashes and passenger fatalities in several cases.

It found that on the day of the incident, 21,000 racing pigeons had been released in Arklow, County Wicklow to race back to their lofts in Northern Ireland.

“This release had been notified to Air Traffic Control and the possible presence of racing pigeons was broadcast on the Automatic terminal Information Service at Dublin Airport,” the report said.

The AAIU did not identify the airline involved.

An inspection of the plane found that fan blade damage had occurred to the engine and the carcasses of several racing pigeons with their metal rings were found on the runway.

Racing pigeons weigh nearly half a kilo and travel at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour which gives pilots little time to take evasive action.

The Irish Aviation Authority said military aircraft have been damaged due to bird strikes with racing pigeons and in 2003, an executive jet crashed with the loss of all its passengers near Linate airport in Milan.

The release of racing pigeons this year is being tracked this year by the National Bird Hazard Committee (NBCH) with the use of a military helicopter.

In 2003 there were 77 confirmed bird strikes at eight airports in Ireland, and 108 in 2004. However, only the incident at Dublin Airport involved racing pigeons was the one at Dublin Airport.

In the wake of the serious accident, the NBCH and Aer Rianta arranged an urgent meeting with the national pigeon associations.

The Irish Homing Union and the Northern Ireland Pigeon Racing Association agreed to ban the release of racing pigeons on the East Coast.

Pigeons can be released in Tramore, County Waterford and other more westerly points.

Pigeon fanciers north and south of the border are also not allowed to release their birds within an eight-mile radius of named airports.

[Artificial Horizon]

This comes as no suprise as it was only this time last year when I got stuck in the hold on approach to Dulin Airport after the runways were closed because racing pigeons were being released nearby!!!! Couldn't believe it myself but there you go, it takes all sorts.

[Farrell]

"The release of racing pigeons this year is being tracked this year by the National Bird Hazard Committee (NBCH) with the use of a military helicopter"

......which will probably be brought down by a flock of racing pigeons.

[Irish Steve]

The AAIU did not identify the airline involved.

EI-CJH, 737-204 Adv, operating a scheduled flight to Bristol, so it doesn't require too much energy to work out the airline.

What I find incredible is that elsewhere in the report, the figure of 108 bird strikes in Ireland is mentioned, that's an average of 1 every 3 days. Is the figure this high in the rest of Europe?

[GrahamCurry]

>What I find incredible is that elsewhere in the report, the figure of 108 bird strikes in Ireland is mentioned, that's an average of 1 every 3 days. Is the figure this high in the rest of Europe?

No, it's just that birds in Ireland haven't evolved avoidance responses and they fly TOWARDS the 'big bird' . . .

Just as cockroaches sense approaching air currents and retreat (though they will run towards a vacuum).
Try it.

[Ranger 1]

108 strikes per year a lot:confused:
We had 50 alone reported last year where I work, it seems a bit on the low side to me(108) which may suggest under reporting of strikes, the important thing is the composition of Birdstrikes, here the vast majority of which, involved single birds of the non priority group which means small low weight birds Not larger species such as Gulls, Corvids, Pigeons etc, along with those which do not flock in dence flocks.
Also near misses & remains found without a reported strike are always reported which increases the strikes reported.
As for the Racing pigeon problem the 8 mile rule for mass release (Liberation) in not of much use as we have encountered flocks flying through the over head & approaches of the airfiled from many miles away even from the continent. The problem which is encountered on occaisions is when local Pigeon lofts release birds for training purposes they can release as many as they like without telling anyone, from any distance.
I have visited a number of pigeon lofts near to the airport here & advised them that although we cannot stop them keeping pigeons or flying them, if their pigeons are seen to be causing a problem or cause damage they may be in breach of the Air Navigation Order in force here in the UK, (Endagering an Aircraft persons or property).
If a Racing pigeon is involved in a strike, we always contact the owner & usually ask him if they were racing the or training & where they were released, usually the owner is polite about it on some occaisons the the phone goes down at the other end which means a possible visit from me.
Does Dublin have a NOTAM or BIRDTAM for this problem?

[Irish Steve]

As for the Racing pigeon problem the 8 mile rule for mass release (Liberation) in not of much use as we have encountered flocks flying through the over head & approaches of the airfiled from many miles away even from the continent.

that was the problem here, this release was over 40 Km from the airfield.

What I find slightly strange is that the birds were at such low level, they were ingested as the aircraft was rotating, my recollection of seeing pigeons is that they are normally a bit higher that would seem to have been the case here. The copy of the IAA document that's in the report suggests that they are a hazard as they normally fly at about 300 Ft, which is more what I would have expected, so to hit a flock on rotation suggests something else was affecting their behaviour.

I don't know that much about racing pigeons, will they fly at night, or do they roost until the next daylight. I'm wondering if the very large grass expanse at Dublin was offering a nice safe haven for the night, and that's why they were so low.

Cheers

[Ranger 1]

Racing Pigeons tend not to fly very high we have seen them crossing the field here at about 10 feet off the ground nothing unusual about it.
They will not fly at night as they roost up, Luckily not as one big flock like Gulls, & wait for dawn to set off, possibly due to the fact they require daylight to navigate also poor weather such as rain, fog will ground them.
Keep an eye open for lost/tired Racing pigeons turning up on your airfiled in & around Hangers & make sure people are aware not to feed them or encourage them, or you will have a population explosion in no time :ok: