Object strike at FL 262
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Florida
would that sort of impact penetrated the windscreen do you think?
For another poster
composite structures on aircraft don't break into small pieces on impact. They do give way and break along fracture lines and then may be finished off by the airstream or centrifugal forces in the case of engine nose spinners.
Whatever hit this one dented it but I don't see the typical crease and fracture at the bottom of a significant hit.
I'll allow that parts of a bird like bones may have left scuff marks directly in line with the flight path of the aircraft and not scattered.
Thread Starter
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From: Where it is comfortable...
Originally Posted by First.officer
Mystery solved?
I've seen the traces of several bird strikes (including a large seagull that hit the side window of a 73' on takeoff, managed to squeeze it open about 2-3 milimetres, and then proceeded to enter the cockpit through that gap, flesh, beak, bones, feathers & all...). A bird strike leaves quite a bit of a mess... Also 8000 metres is very high, have heard of vultures getting up that high, but a bird of that size hitting at 500mph would do more than a dent. Based on info from more knowledgable posters on this thread, I'd vouch for a balloon till proven otherwise.
Last edited by andrasz; 6th June 2013 at 17:08.
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: UK
Well, I would not discount a birdstrike. I posted on another forum recently that I hit a fair sized bird over Northern Germany at night between cloud layers on the descent into CGN at 19,000 ft.
I am also sure that I have read of geese being up at 30,000 ft (without filing a flight plan).
I am also sure that I have read of geese being up at 30,000 ft (without filing a flight plan).
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: On the dark side of the moon
Indeed. UPS hit a goose on the windscreen at FL310 over Colorado Springs a few years back. It was in the dark of night - must have scared the stuffing out of that crew.
Last edited by J.O.; 6th June 2013 at 18:26.
Pegase Driver
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From: Europe
The birds going up above 20.000 ft are not that many (i.e. Condors, Vultures, Canadian Geese ) all fairly big an heavy ( Vultures around 4-5 Kg , Geese 5-9 Kgs and condors up to 15 Kg ) .
These kind of weights at 900 Km/h hitting the ( plastic) radome would end up on the knees of the crew I think.
I would also normally leaves some blood traces.
These kind of weights at 900 Km/h hitting the ( plastic) radome would end up on the knees of the crew I think.
I would also normally leaves some blood traces.
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: UK
Amongst all the gore is this one:
Sutherland Shire Squadron - Photo Gallery - Bird Strike
Which bears some similarity, lacks gizzards and appears to be a confirmed bird strike.
Sutherland Shire Squadron - Photo Gallery - Bird Strike
Which bears some similarity, lacks gizzards and appears to be a confirmed bird strike.
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From: engineer at large
China has plenty of UAV's, the Guizhou Soar Eagle ceiling is 59,000 feet.
The service ceiling on a Global Hawk is 60,000 feet, and routinely fly at 45,000.
The service ceiling on a Global Hawk is 60,000 feet, and routinely fly at 45,000.
Last edited by FlightPathOBN; 7th June 2013 at 17:06.
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From: engineer at large
The typical National Weather Service radiosonde instrument looks like it would cause the damage...seems reasonable China would use something very similar..
Last edited by FlightPathOBN; 8th June 2013 at 16:08.
Tabs please!
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From: Biffins Bridge
It was the type where the hydrogen obeys the laws P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2. The balloons did leak a bit and hydrogen does behave slightly oddly but the equation is a good enough analogy to show what happens when P reduces by a lot and T reduces by a little (in terms of Kelvin).
If you added a bit too much gas then the balloon would burst at a lower altitude so you could bunk off home sooner. Not that I ever did such a thing
If you added a bit too much gas then the balloon would burst at a lower altitude so you could bunk off home sooner. Not that I ever did such a thing
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: BHX LXR ASW
No no no you have it all wrong it's a UFO:
Did Chinese plane have mid-air crash with UFO? | The Sun |News
Did Chinese plane have mid-air crash with UFO? | The Sun |News
