Bird Strikes - What's it like?
 

A little while ago, whilst I sat at the holding point waiting to get into the circuit at Cardiff, an A320 (of JMC, I think) was on finals. Behind him was an A330. A BRA Embraer was on the take-off roll.

Shortly after rotation, the Emb pilot reported that he'd struck a bird whilst still on the runway.
Then, upon touchdown, the A320 pilot reported that he'd had a bird strike too.
A few moments later, the A330 pilot reported the same thing - and we could clearly see a big red streak running down the fuselage, just below the cockpit windows.

Aside from the obvious danger to the engines and power loss on take-off/approach - it must be pretty damn scary to hit a chook that hard. Any bird strike stories/anecdotes/legends welcome.

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If it ain't a Boeing - I ain't going!

I had a bird strike a few years ago in a 727 in Africa.

Shortly afer rotation, as we pulled up the gear there was a huge bang and we couldn't get the nose gear to lock up properly.
A HUGE bloody bird had hit the nose gear and buggered up the hydraulics. We got it down okay and landed safely.

Blood and feathers everywhere though!

We took out a seagull recently passing 200ft or so going out of a coastal uk airfield.Saw the thing out of the corner of my eye, thinking that was close. No adverse indications or bumps or anything. On arrival at a near continental airfield, stopping at the ramp, the wingtip looked different somehow. On closer inspection we could see the by now ill-defined form of a shredded body wrapped around the tip which had a rather large dent in it. 400 plus knots is clearly more than the bird could stand up in. It certainly lost its hair and feathers plus a limb or three and happily no serious damage sustained by ourselves. :)

It's too bad that you can't ask the question from the birds' point of view. I would think that if the question could be asked of the bird, "what was the first thing that went through your mind when you hit the airplane"? His answer most likely would have been, "MY Ass".

On a more or less serious note, several years ago a 727 on climbout from an Alaskan airfield frightened an eagle carrying a large salmon. The bird dropped the salmon and it impacted the 727 just above the passenger door making a loud bang and leaving a considerable dent in the metalwork.

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The Cat

I can remember hearing the bang the moment I was thinking "Well, those birds where lucky." On arrival we found the remnants splattered all over the leading edge devices :). Poor buggers, they did well in avoiding the nose though. Which is why I thought they were lucky :). Well, one can't have everything, can we?

I've had a large bird strike just on the bottom edge of the windshield. We were turning onto final at the time. Its not very nice! It comes up so damn fast, natural reaction is to duck ('scuse the pun)/move sideways which is just what we did! The blood and guts were scraped off by the engineer later.
If you can imagine someone suddenly punching you in the face its like that, but without the pain.

I don't know if this is true but I have heard it repeated many times. It seems that a UK aircraft company secured the drawings for the chicken gun used by Boeing. They built the gun to spec and used it to hurl a deceased chicken into the windshield (windscreen) of a new aircraft under test.

The gun was pressurized to spec and the chicken was hurled at the windshield. It not only penetrated the glass but it kept on going and totally deformed the rear wall of the flight deck.

The UK aircraft company asked Boeing what went wrong. After a lengthy conversation back and forth it was discovered that the UK types didn't thaw the chicken prior to placing it in the barrel of the gun.

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The Cat

I have had several bird strikes, a bat strike and clobbered a wallaby (on the landing roll).
Depending on where it hits (and how big the bird is) it ranges from annoyance to grounding the plane. Needless to say, a loud "bang" is heard and you just hope it didn't go through the prop.
WIth one bird strike, all that was left was the Kite's beak in the leading edge. The worst one I have seen was when a Wedge Tail eagle (about 50kg of bird) slammed into the wing root of a Dash 8 out of Broome WA. Grounded the plane for 3 months. Nearly wrote it off as the impact bent the spar! Fortunately the boys from DHC or Bombardier or whatever they are called this week, flew out and sorted out a fix for it. :)

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reddo...feral animal!

I have only had one, hit a small white bird on the lower right side of the nose of a Dash-8. Caught sight of it about a half second before impact and felt a thump. Lucky it didn't go thru the prop I guess. On the ground there was no damage, just some feathers and blood. Our company did have a Dash that took a goose on the leading edge of the right wing, going completely through the leading edge and doing serious and extensive damage to the forward spar.

Geese hurt!!

BAcktracking the runway on a tropical coral cay some years back in an Islander, with a seagull flying parallel and at taxi speed.

The seagull diverted left and rearward and was chopped into 4 bits as both blades bisected it.

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bottums up !

I once read (I'm sure it was in the American version of the magazine 'Flyer' ) of a Griffon Vulture that was hit by a jet (from memory a B707, or was it a DC8?) whilst the a/c was climbing/descending at something like FL180.

Now, if you've ever seen a Griffon Vulture you'll know that they're some BIG bird !

Thus a/c walloped the bird on the radome, which the bird subsequently went straight through, and then through the firewall, before coming to a halt about the F/O's legs - which it broke both of ! - and seriously damaging the controls / instruments.

http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

I have had my share of birdstrikes over the years, but the thing that always scared the S#@t out of me was running into a mob of kangaroos on landing in a single at 0700 on El Questo Station in the Kimberley WA.What a bloody mess, the leading edges were buggered, and the windscreen, the prop looked like it had tried to mix cement and dead roos from Ar@se #ole to breakfast. Some start to a holiday....

Some years ago a RAAF P3 Orion hit a pelcan in flight, and the damage was huge. Several of the flight deck instruments were forced out of the instrument panel, severe distortion to many frames in the nose, etc, etc. The aircraft was unconsidered to be damaged beyond economical repair. Needless to say the RNZAF bought it at scrap value, bought some bigger sledgehammers and had it back flying in no time!

Well here's a fairly recent one from the aaib it indicates some of the damage that can occur.
<A HREF="http://www.aaib.detr.gov.uk/sep99htm/gawnjf2.jpg" TARGET="_blank">www.aaib.detr.gov.uk/sep99htm/gawnjf2.jpg</A>
The cause.....a 4lb grey heron!


[This message has been edited by gas path (edited 05 December 2000).]

A few years ago a UK Army Gazelle helicopter hit a buzzard which came through intact into the cockpit. Shortly afterwards it woke up and attacked the pilot. The observer was obliged to wring its neck to save his own!

If a bird goes into a jet engine do you get shredded tweet?


Sorry Malcolm, I know that one's yours!

[This message has been edited by piston broke (edited 05 December 2000).]

I guess I'm lucky to have the big mix master overhead. Every birdstrike I've had has been a very fine puree of GU-11 after going through the blades at Pina Colada Speed!

The ones that managed to miss the blades (by some miracle) have been so small they have usually hit with a minor 'plunk' and splatter!

I have had some buddies in a 212 at night, low level, have an intimate relationship with a 12 pound goose at 100 kts. I've seen the post impact photos and believe me, I'd hate to have been doing 400 or 500 kts!

Cheers, OffshoreIgor http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

While on the course at British Aerospace Woodford, I was told a story (they swore it was true)about the certification trials of the BAe 146 windscreen. The chicken was weighed and loaded up in the test cannon prior to the 250kt impact test. The technicians then went for lunch. When they returned, they finished setting the measurement equipment and fired the cannon. Chicken duly splatted on screen...together with a mass of black fur. When they examined the screen they discovered the sadly mangled carcass of a cat -which had crept in to eat the chicken while they were at lunch.

So if you are lucky enough to fly the 146, you can relax in the knowledge that the screen is tested for cat strike up to 250kts.

Took out a couple of Upland Geese at Mount Pleasant a few years ago. It was at about 110kts on take off in a very heavy C130 (max mil overload). One went through the leading edge and mangled the bleed air manifold and various other fairly important bits'n'bobs. The other went down the No. 3 engine, which barely noticed! The smell from the a/c before we got it switched off was disgusting!! The reject at that weight with limited reverse thrust was quite sporting as well.
Another story: when I was a baby fast-jet trainee at RAF Valley in the late '70s, one guy (RN, I think) took out a large bird at 420kts at low-level. The bird struck the Hawk just below the windscreen, and the remains penetrated the aircraft skin, went through the instrument panel, and landed in his lap. The subsequent 420kt breeze concentrated his mind somewhat, but I'm pretty sure he got it down OK (at RAF Mona, I think). He certainly earned his pay that day!

Circuit training in a single after a shower of rain - evreything still pretty wet. On rotation a flock of seasgulls scatters and fwoomp at least one entered the arc of the prop. The view out the windscreen was like the start of a 007 film...red smearing everywhere as the blood mixed with the water. Next landing, there was the head of the bird on the runway...without a body...

4 Galahs (grey and pink aussie parrots) at once on landing....in the desert with no water to wash the aircraft. The white 210s nose was brown/green (rotten blood) by the time it saw town again. Fortunately I had a quick turnaround, & change planes, so did not have to wash it!

A large Hare at Essendon Airport with the nosewheel of the Seminole. Nil damage to nosewheel, but one braised bunny.

Some cable (foxtel?)kids show has on tape several Agiles (rather gymnastic small Kangaroos) making a panic sideways dive under my aircraft as it landed to avoid knocking themselves out/being minced.

One rearing snake lost its head into my prop as I landed.

Gawd, i sound like a mass animal murderer, just as well i dont have to count what i have hit in my car! ;)

PS - Hey reddo, how'd you know it was a bat (at night?).




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Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.
William Blake

One our of captains said he's going to be the first to get birdstrikes from behind since he's using MPC.

seupp

[This message has been edited by seupp (edited 07 December 2000).]

Thought I'd join the conversation...

I've only had one bird strike myself... It (the bird - RIP) hit just after T/O on my wiper post... Blood and feather everywhere, so nice to look at for 50 minutes in cruise! :)

I've had the pleasure of finding bird strikes on pre-flights. I remember thinking, "Why would someone through Ketchup on the side of the plane?" As you can guess it wasn't Ketchup... Twitty - RIP is no more.

As for loud noises... I had a friend hit two deer just before Vr in a Saab... Loudest noise he ever heard, considering they lost two blades.

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FLY SAFE!!!

Compressor Stall, After we dragged it's carcass from out of the fibreglass nose cowl we could tell it was a bat. Another big tip was the lack of feathers.
Also clobbered some galahs going into Kowanyama (QLD). By the time we had done the turn around, their carcasses had been eaten by the Kites that were orbiting final.

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reddo...feral animal!

Hit 3 dozen geese landing at LGA on night, luckly we saw them just prior to the flare. Destroyed the number 2 engine, large dents in the leading edges, holes in the flaps and damage to the airconditioning system. Not a pretty sight. Also hit a flock of sparrow sized birds over in the Gulf in a C5...we has instant feathers in the cockpit..no damage.

Hey reddo, I thought bats had TCAS :) :)

Call'em Bombardier for now... :rolleyes:

Those jolly wedge tail eagles think they own the sky, they seem to enjoy hovering on final parading their air superiority with pretention. If you look closely at their claws you can actually see two of them waving up and down at you in a victory sign.

More seriously, I have given headaches to pigeons and galahs. I narrowly avoided three pelicans in a Grob(hardly bigger than a pelican) who never realised the close encounter. I have also seen kamikase green budgies who are very active (during spring I think) in central Australia, they are attracted by propellers. I have had them repetively hitting the perspex of the stationary Baron, others trying to sit on the propeller...at idle RPM.

Now I have a question. If you are established on final at 400ft and you see birds ahead of your flight path, should you try to avoid them by evasive action at the expense of destabilising the appproach or should you continue on hoping that the birds will move? If anyone knows of any articles on that sort of situation I would appreciate a reference. Thanks

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Don't believe anything you hear and only believe half of what you see.

Lucky escape after launching from AMS 01L in a BAC 1-11 years ago. Visibility was only CAT II on the ground, but the fog was patchy and 400-500ft thick with clear skies above.

Having reached 500agl and started the left turn to track the SPL (341?) radial, we popped out of the fog and immediately became aware of something in our way. What had started as a small speck rapidly became a flight of Canada Geese http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif in a lob-sided 'V' formation. Only by relaxing our LH turn did we avoid sending chunks of Goose and RR Spey down onto the unsuspecting folks fumbling around in the fog below. However, the subsequent shower of Goose poo was unavoidable!

Took out a big thrush or crow on lift-off from DUB in the spring - impacted on my (RHS) windshield with a 'BANG!' and I found myself cowering below the glareshield. Guts and feathers remianed plastered completely across my forward window, couldn't see a thing forward for the rest of the flight.

Took great delight in showing it to the cabin crew who were invariably a) disgusted, when we pointed out what various bits were, and b) upset that we didn't take avoiding action ("poor birdie") at 50' and 140kts...

Was also at Filton many years ago as an Air Cadet when a SHAR diverted with a suspected bird strike and engine problems - went down the side of the fuselage, and what was left of it (seagull?) on the nozzles was thoroughly cooked by the time it taxied in. Looked nasty, smelt delicious. :)

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...proceeding below Decision Height WITH CAUTION...

In the 1980s the RAF lost quite a lot of Harriers to low-level bird-strikes.

Steve Belcher, a colleague and good friend of mine, died in the post-takeoff crash of his Nimrod. They found 70 or so dead seagulls on the runway; 3 out of 4 engines had lost power due to birdstrike damage. He, as co-pilot and the captain were both killed but everyone down the back survived the crash into the forest off the end of the runway. RIP, mate.

Yes, I knew Steve as well. Great shame, and a pretty valiant effort to get the ship on the ground so at least some got out. RIP.

I had a pigeon (racing variety) take a dive thru my rotor disc shortly after landing once.

An explosion of feathers alerted me to the event, and after shutting down I found the two halves of the doo perfectly severed about 20yds apart.

Thinking the owner might be wringing his fla'cap in anguish at the disappearance of his "fancy" (!) I passed the details of the unfortunate bird's leg ring and the circumstances of it's demise to the Pigeon Racing Society or whatever it is called (who were totallt uninterested) and heard...absolutely sod all.

Now I don't swerve for doos, Malibu Storks and above only.

Whilst training at Gateway, Arizona we used to see road runners sprinting across the r/w on a regular basis.

Imagine my surprise when one day I saw a dog-like creature chasing after one!

Ah, yes. Arizona.

In 1961 I was flying USAF F-100s out of Luke AFB.

One day I was flying wing position on a formation takeoff, and just after rotation, there was a violent "bang", along with airframe shudder, and flame shot out the nose intake like an afterburner. Got it back on the ground, got a good chute and got it stopped right at the end of the runway. When they looked inside that afternoon, there was a lot of feathers and bird pieces. It was one of those big prarie hens, weighing 8-10 pounds. Shot 6 turbine buckets through the fuselage. We didn't have zero-zero seats in those days. A few seconds later I'd have been in a hell of a mess.

Also had a hit near the eyebrow window frame on a 727. Sounded like a brick hit us.

My share of others, too, some were not found until postflight/preflight.

smells very bad!

Flight International (Learjets PHF. VA.) took off one morning from runway 05 (uncontrolled airport outside hours). Just on rotation a large Deer appears in the landing lights and whamm strikes the main gear.

A/c nose nose is about five feet high and the mains are just off the deck. Skipper brought it to a halt by the end of the runway and was critised for not continuing into the air.

Damage was extream to say the least. Hydralics gone, both wheels damaged beyond repair with the tyres grotesquely hanging off the rims, fuselarge damage and bent main gear strut!

Hit one bird just after rotate, smack into the centre of my screen. When I climbed out from under the glareshield could see guts everywhere and not much else. Had to hand the 'plane back to the capt. as i couldn't see the runway for landing.

Worst one was on the take off roll from Genoa. A flock of birds lifted off from the runway as we came past at about 120kts. Hit at least 14. Continued with take off as engines OK (PW JT8D) . Smell of roast gulls is pretty gross. Had gear red light on approach due feathers in microswitch. Found feathers and guts all over aircraft, including blocked pitot. Got away lightly I reckon...

One of my colleagues told me of astory a few years ago. He was left seat in a Saab 340 going into Leeds I think but not sure. At about 200 feet a huge flock of gulls decided to take the props. They landed with a totally blood covered windscreen and both engines were knackered. Crews found... wait for it... 56 carcasses around the threshold!!!! Carnage!!!!!

Open cockpit low wing aircraft. Head sicking out of the top. The bird took avoiding action and I felt it (or its wake?) skimming through my hair! I was lucky, it could have felt much worse...

We had a lucky escape in a Dash-8 coming out of Plymouth a couple of years ago. A pterodactyl sized seagull went through the prop (1200 r.p.m) without touching it, just missing the engine intake by a couple of feet, impacting and wedging istself into the landing light housing! The timing must have been one in a million, rather like firing mausers through propellers!