Bird strikes becoming too common?

[bakutteh]

A Reuters report on April 25 :

NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - A bird strike forced a
JetBlue flight bound for Florida to make an emergency return to
Westchester Airport, the airline said on Wednesday, the second
such incident at a New York area airport in less than two weeks.

Flight 571, scheduled for a 6:45 p.m. EDT Tuesday departure
from the West Harrison, New York airport for West Palm Beach,
encountered the birds shortly after takeoff, according to a
JetBlue statement.

"Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the
passengers and crew onboard, the captain elected to return to
the gate," the JetBlue statement said.

None of the 54 customers or 4 crew members aboard the
Embraer 190 aircraft was injured, the airline said.

The flight landed safely and the passengers were reboarded
onto another aircraft that departed for West Palm Beach at 8:25
p.m., arriving in West Palm Beach at about midnight, the airline
said.

JetBlue did not confirm how many or what kind of birds were
involved. Westchester Airport spokesmen were not immediately
available for comment.

Last week, a bird strike shortly after takeoff forced a Delta
Air Lines flight to make an emergency return to New York's John
F. Kennedy International Airport.

According to the FAA's website, wildlife strikes are not
uncommon, with an average of 26 strikes a day in recent years.

I guess the mods may bump this off to the spotters corner, but incidences like this are becoming all too common. We often have ATCs and ATIS information advising " exercise caution, bird activity in the vicinity ". Yeah, right exercise caution...not at 100 ft AGL on a runway/ obstacle limited takeoff or landing when the flocks suddenly appear out of nowhere. If it were the migratory flocks, they may be visible whereby takeoffs could be delayed and landing approaches aborted. If the flocks just soared up from nearby forested areas, then it's no telling how much damage they can cause.

Airport authorities make a big show of the ways of scaring away birds, but are they proactive and doing enough?

[Sampan Angkasa]

A simple question, if you spy a flock of birds going into your flight path during takeoff, would you reject after crossing a 100kts?

[autoflight]

Have a really good look before 100k during every take-off.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

It's not a recent thing. I was on watch at Heathrow back in the 70s when there were 210 bird strikes in a few minutes and both runways had to be closed!

[Capt Claret]

Are bird strikes becoming too common?

Not in my part of the world. Between 1999 & 2005 whilst on the BAe146 I had so many that I was unfairly given the sobriquet of chick magnet.

2005 to 2012, B717, same routes, same times, 1 bird in '06 and one bat in '11.

I'd really love to know why the difference.

[gerago]

I'd really love to know why the difference.

Massive development, unseen pollutants from the mining and other industries could have destroyed avian habitat in the region.

Just like in the US and elsewhere, the extensive use of herbicide and insecticide as well as other chemicals have led to a massive drop of the number of honey bees.

[ampclamp]

Capt C the difference is the 146 can get bird strikes from either direction. Some would say more so from the rear.

[Capt Claret]

G'day Ampclamp,

I know. But in my case all were from the front.

[ampclamp]

sorry skipper, it is an oldy...but worth a run. Nice to fly around in and as smooth as anything to land but still gives me the creeps thinking about maintaining it.

[Capt Claret]

... and to operate it!

[Slasher]

I would've thought these average garden slug tree-hugging
whale-loving PC-rabid commie fluffies would've successfully
argued in court that birds owned the sky first - and had the
aviation industry reduced by now to Zeppelins and hot-air
balloons paying airspace fees to flocks of geese & sparrows.

[dixi188]

When I worked on the ramp at Bournemouth (Hurn) airport, I used to see the fire crew doing their bird scaring duties. They would drive around making squawking noises and firing things that went bang. The birds would take off, fly around for a while and then land back on the airfield.

I suggested that perhaps if they used a 12 bore shotgun and killed a few, the others might get the idea they were not wanted around the airfield and bu**er off.

Not allowed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sevenstrokeroll]

back in the heady days after sully turned an airbus into a boat, I offered bird evasion techniques. I still stand by them.

I do ask that someone somehow actually take a look at which engines and airframes seem most effected by the birds. those engines with the extra wide inlets just seem asking for more problems than the little skinny ones with smaller inlets (and yes i'm being a little silly here, not naming names of engine types...but you know which engines I'm talking about). Please also remember that fuel efficent engines are in more wide spread circulation (forgive the pun) than they were 30 years ago...more birds? more fuel efficent engines...?

hmmm

[Sir George Cayley]

7sr.

A/c hit birds on just about any leading surface from nose to tail, wingtip to wingtip. Engine bird ingestion is only one of a number of strike scenarios, though clearly a bigger hazard.

I've a suspicion you are thinking that engines suck birds in which is not the case. If I've misunderstood please correct me.

I'm sure you know this site but I've put the link up for anyone interested.

Federal Aviation Administration

I'm in favour of public executions 'pour encourager les autres'

SGC