Anyone else had a bird strike in a light aircraft?

[Geriaviator]

Gulls are deadly to aircraft, as Newtownards airfield at the head of Strangford Lough knows to its cost. In the mid-80s an Aztec collected a herring gull around Vr. The corpse and leading edge were driven back to the mainspar. While waiting for the insurance assessor, the Aztec had to be parked outside downwind of the hangar, for the smell was terrible.

In 1964 the pilot of a Turbulent was killed by a gull which came through the windscreen and apparently hit him in the face. The gull's remains were found about 60 yds from the crash site.

[horizon flyer]

Originally Posted by betterfromabove

Instructor of mine was doing night CX at Toussus-le-Noble (near Paris) in a C172 when all of a sudden the windscreen exploded and he found a seagull dead in his lap. Joked about it afterwards, but was glad he had someone else in the plane. Believe the pilot under instruction continued to land.

A friend of mine was on an exercise with an instructor in a PA28 W of White Waltham when part of the prop seemed to disintegrate. Landed safely, with some power on I believe. They and the engineers came to the conclusion it was a red kite that hit it. Plenty orbit in the 25 undershoot as well over the allotments and used to lead to some weaving going by a/c on finals when I was flying there a few years back.

They are still there some idiot is feeding them in a back garden that backs on to the field.

[Wrong Stuff]

These guys have upped the ante... anyone else had a mid-air rabbit strike?

Plane makes emergency landing after freak collision with both an eagle and a rabbit