Wirraway
1st Apr 2003, 14:37
Reuters
Australia's airline bird strike rates rocket
SYDNEY, April 1 (Reuters) - Feathers are flying in Australian skies as airlines report a massive jump in the number of potentially "catastrophic" collisions with birds.
Pink and grey galahs, hawks, ibis, ducks and bats are among Australian creatures most commonly hit by planes and all punch well above their weight, the Australian Transport Safety Authority (ATSB) said in a report released on Tuesday.
A flock of birds can severely dent a plane's fuselage or cause a loss of power if sucked into a jet engine, said the ATSB, citing figures showing close encounters of a feathered kind cost the world's civil aviation industry $3 billion a year.
Tiny starlings can exert up to 4.6 tonnes of force on a plane travelling at high speed, while a hefty eagle has an impact force of almost 14 tonnes.
"If the trends of increasing bird populations and increasing aircraft numbers continue, the occurrence of bird strikes with catastrophic outcomes are likely to continue to rise," the ATSB said.
The ATSB said the number of reported bird strikes leapt 80.5 percent from 1991/92 to 2000/01 in Australia.
It was not clear whether the increase was simply due to larger flocks of birds and growing numbers of planes, or also to better reporting systems.
The ATSB said hand-held laser devices used to frighten birds away from airports and U.S.-developed bird warning systems were proving a success around the world. Meanwhile, new engine designs might find a way to reduce the damage.
Australia's airline bird strike rates rocket
SYDNEY, April 1 (Reuters) - Feathers are flying in Australian skies as airlines report a massive jump in the number of potentially "catastrophic" collisions with birds.
Pink and grey galahs, hawks, ibis, ducks and bats are among Australian creatures most commonly hit by planes and all punch well above their weight, the Australian Transport Safety Authority (ATSB) said in a report released on Tuesday.
A flock of birds can severely dent a plane's fuselage or cause a loss of power if sucked into a jet engine, said the ATSB, citing figures showing close encounters of a feathered kind cost the world's civil aviation industry $3 billion a year.
Tiny starlings can exert up to 4.6 tonnes of force on a plane travelling at high speed, while a hefty eagle has an impact force of almost 14 tonnes.
"If the trends of increasing bird populations and increasing aircraft numbers continue, the occurrence of bird strikes with catastrophic outcomes are likely to continue to rise," the ATSB said.
The ATSB said the number of reported bird strikes leapt 80.5 percent from 1991/92 to 2000/01 in Australia.
It was not clear whether the increase was simply due to larger flocks of birds and growing numbers of planes, or also to better reporting systems.
The ATSB said hand-held laser devices used to frighten birds away from airports and U.S.-developed bird warning systems were proving a success around the world. Meanwhile, new engine designs might find a way to reduce the damage.