Today i got first bird strike!! Pictures included!

[sternone]

This morning i went on with my PPL training in the 152 Cessna... i was on short final... i just yelled: bird strike! A slight of a second later, BAM!!

The airport people found the head of the unlucky one on the runway, the rest was sitting in my carb heat intake opening....

I didn't felt i was in a dangerous situation because seconds later i was above the runway and i was just gently landing ...

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z210/stern1_2007/Afb044.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z210/stern1_2007/Afb041.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z210/stern1_2007/Afb042.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z210/stern1_2007/Afb043.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z210/stern1_2007/Afb045.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z210/stern1_2007/Afb045.jpg

[BackPacker]

Well done! Especially the gentle landing one. Were you solo or with an instructor?

As an aside, any smears on the prop? The pictures don't show any although I guess it's likely the prop which took its head off. There's a discussion somewhere else on PPRuNe about whether a reasonably-sized bird (like "yours") would be able to pass through the prop arc without being torn to pieces by the prop. In other words - whether the prop would provide protection against serious consequences of a bird strike in a SEP. I think you just proved that wrong.

[SkyHawk-N]

Shame, it's a beautiful bird. A hawk of some kind.

[Kolibear]

Its a Kestrel, probably a young bird as the primaries (wing tip feathers) are very short .

[forget]

It's also a protected species. Couldn't you have swerved.;)

[RatherBeFlying]

May I suggest finding a bit of Cessna cowl and maybe even a u/s cylinder head from a salvage yard and mounting the bird on it.

Would make a fine conversation piece in the den or flying club:ouch:

[SkyHawk-N]

What is it with North Americans wanting to have stuffed, dead things about the place? ;)

[flugholm]

sternone:

I presume it's my duty to welcome you to the pprune BS Club!

[smarthawke]

Just a point of note, the unfortunate bird is in the engine cooling air inlet not the carb heat inlet. The carb heat is taken from around the number 4 cylinder (rear left) exhaust downpipe.

Normal carb induction air is through the filter (normally below the landing light, blanked off on this example). Don't want anyone to think the bird was about to cause engine problems.

[SkyHawk-N]

I presume it's my duty to welcome you to the pprune BS Club!

The PPRuNe BS Club? a club with many members! :}

[A330 Dreamer]

the foto of it lying on the tarmac with no head - best foto I've seen all week!

Have no sympathy with birds - My car is always covered in sh*t, so I hate them!

good job captain!

[sternone]

As an aside, any smears on the prop? The pictures don't show any although I guess it's likely the prop which took its head off. There's a discussion somewhere else on PPRuNe about whether a reasonably-sized bird (like "yours") would be able to pass through the prop arc without being torn to pieces by the prop. In other words - whether the prop would provide protection against serious consequences of a bird strike in a SEP. I think you just proved that wrong.

Nopes, i checked a few times the prop, nothing damaged, in fact i must say that i have imagined a bird strike completely differently (very messy, and bloody, ...) but to my absolute surprise it seems to be this bird was his head cut off by the blad and then thrown into the opening.. so there goes my theory about a bird not able to fly true or pass a prop... it seems to be it's possible!!!

I was with my instructor (a russian pilot, very good one, with lots of hours, he told me it was his first bird strike ever!!) When we reported the bird strike to the tower, when we were taxiing off the runway, there was already some maintenance team ready to do a good check of the runway.. and they found the head instantly, they only wanted to know on what part of the runway we had the impact.

We couldn't see any damage, aldo a technician will remove the cowlings and check everything, tomorrow morning i have lessons again in this machine!!

Thank you for the BS PPRune membership!

[Charles Sierra]

Thats brilliant......another female sparrow hawk less..........well done that man.!!:D

[DB6]

Have you painted a kill marking on yet? :ok:
We managed to down 12 Canada geese in one incident at work (only one or two hit the plane) but the company didn't think 12 goose symbols with crosses through them beneath the cockpit window was good PR. :E

[sternone]

This morning i flew again with that machine... on my home airport EBAW... they were fireing canoon-shots, i guess they took that bird impact serious ?

Also the grass around the airfield was yesterday freshley cut.. seems to attrack birds hunting for mouses ?

[forget]

The real question of course is . . . . did you pop the head into a bucket of ice and try to attach it back later?

Remember this - you may need it sometime. If you knock out a tooth put it immediately into cold fresh milk. Rush off to the dentist and there's a good chance he/she can re-implant it. Forget the milk - no chance.

[John Alcock]

Regarding the fact that it got (largely) through the prop unscathed, I think now be a good time to revive the perpetual argument of wearing a flying helmet, or some form of eye protection.

I certainly wouldn't fancy my chances of dodging the shards of perspex if it hit the canopy, let alone landing with an sixty/seventy knot wind in my face! (Beg to differ? Try it as a passenger on the motorway one day!)

Your "mates" might regard you a little curiously attired, but if it ends up being a potential life-saver, I don't think it's too high a price to pay.

[sternone]

I think now be a good time to revive the perpetual argument of wearing a flying helmet, or some form of eye protection.

Is there any pilot here PPL that wears a helmet ? Doing non-acro, just normal flights?? i never saw one ??

[tmmorris]

Can't remember the reference - and CBA to look it up right now :) - but I assume you know that all bird strikes are now reportable to the CAA...?

Tim

[IRRenewal]

but I assume you know that all bird strikes are now reportable to the CAA...?What, even if it happens in Belgium?

[flugholm]

Probably not, but I might be wrong.

Anyway, all bird strikes in Germany have to be reported to these nice guys: http://www.davvl.de/

Well, in fact I dutifuly reported mine! Just making sure I'll become a dot on a graph.
:ok:

[sternone]

So the 'bird guys' have more reasons to close down airports ? hehe

[sternone]

Today i came across this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgXkRgkHUk0&mode=related&search=

[LowNSlow]

Regarding eye protection, I usually fly with a pair of RayBans on. All RayBans have impact resistant lenses AFAIK. Don't know how well they'd cope with a bird between the eyes though....... but at least they'd keep the shattered perspex out of my peepers.