WILDLIFE HAZARDS TO AVIATION

ICAO/ACI AIRPORTS CONFERENCE

Miami, Florida, April 24, 2001
by Paul Eschenfelder
CSL, United Kingdom

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Collisions between wildlife and aircraft worldwide are increasing in number and severity.
The United Kingdom’s Central Science Laboratory estimates that wildlife strikes to
aircraft cost the aviation industry worldwide over one billion dollars each year. In the
United States the FAA Administrator has stated that wildlife strikes cost the aviation
industry “…$300-400 million a year”. National Transportation Safety Board Chairman
Jim Hall has stated that birdstrikes were on his list of most wanted concerns. Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture Jim Dunn states that “…there has never been a greater potential
for catastrophe than in the current conflict between wildlife and aviation”.

Since 1995 over 90 people have been killed as a result of collisions between their aircraft
and wildlife. The most recent fatal accident was April 20, 2000, at Pepa, Congo, in
which an AN-8 twin turboprop crashed, killing 21 people.

During a four-month period in late 1999, at Detroit Metropolitan Airport alone,

Northwest Airlines suffered over $24 million in damage due to bird ingestion.

While aviation activity worldwide continues to expand, wildlife populations have

exploded. The resident Canada goose population in the USA has quadrupled (4X) since
1987. Pratt & Whitney estimates it will double again in 5 years, to over 6 million
resident birds. The snow goose populatio n has become so extreme it is denuding its
summer range in Canada. The gull population in the Great Lakes area cannot find
nesting space and has begun nesting on building rooftops. The cormorant, a fish eating
bird just slightly smaller than a goose, has returned from the dead. In 1972 there were
only 6 nesting pairs of cormorants in the Great Lakes region. Currently there are over
100,000 nesting pairs. There are more deer in the US now than when the Pilgrims landed
in the 17th century.
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SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS

• At Daytona Beach, Florida, a USAirways B737 encountered a flock of gulls

during its takeoff on a foggy morning. Bird ingestion caused the immediate
failure of one engine and damage to the other. Attempting to return to the airport
the crew was required to attempt a single-engine localizer back-course approach
which resulted in a single engine go-around, landing safely out of a front course
ILS. Over 200 dead gulls were found on the runway.
• At Edmonton, Alberta, a Westair B737 encountered gulls during a morning
takeoff in the fog, with an immediate engine failure due to bird ingestion. The
flight attempted a single engine ILS to return to Edmonton, which resulted in a
single engine go around and flew single engine to Calgary for a safe landing.
• At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a B-1900 collided with a goose, which penetrated the
left wing, the wing fuel tank, passed by the main wing spar and lodged against the
left aileron. All the fuel drained from the tank, the engine was shut down and the
aircraft landed, single engine, maximum lateral imbalance between fuel tanks and
bird remains jammed against the aileron.
• At Istanbul, a Turkish A-340 operating Istanbul-South Africa encountered gulls
on takeoff resulting in the failure of 2 of its 4 engines. The flight returned safely
to Istanbul.
• At Tel Aviv, a TWA B767 encountered birds on takeoff resulting in a violent
uncontained engine failure. The flight returned safely but blew 4 tires.
• At Seoul, 5 wide body aircraft suffered engine damage in 10 days due to bird
ingestion.
• Boeing reports that in ETOPS operations there have been 13 turnbacks by B767
aircraft due to wildlife strikes.

DATA COLLECTION
Although some European states require mandatory reporting of wildlife strikes, reporting
is not mandatory in North America or in the rest of the world. As a result of poor data
collection the scope of the problem cannot be accurately defined. Only two airlines in the
USA, United and Northwest, routinely report wildlife strikes to the FAA/USDA strike
database. Normal reporting methods at these carriers indicate they suffer 200-300 strikes
per year.

Alex Orosz, FOD Manager at United Air Lines, developed a software program to conduct
a key word search of the United Air Lines Technical Operations database. For the year
1999 he discovered an additional 1,100 strikes which United knew nothing about. For
the year 1999 United Air Lines had 1,326 wildlife strikes, over 100 a month. Mr. Orosz
estimates that 40% of engine FOD (foreign object damage) at United is due to bird
ingestion.
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ENGINE CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

While modern jet engines are designed to be very hardy in some respects, they no longer
meet the safety level contemplated by regulators for bird ingestion due to the increased
number of large flocking birds. The FAA/JAA joint Engine Harmonization Working
Group is currently working with a new TOR to develop increased standards for bird
ingestion. Currently the largest bird an engine has to be designed and demonstrated to
ingest is a 4-pound bird – about the size of a fat gull or skinny duck. The engine must
ingest only one of these flocking birds and demonstrate no runon time, only safe
shutdown. None of the engines currently flying are designed or built to survive an
ingestion of an 8-15 pound goose, pelican, stork, vulture or 25 pound swan.

AIRPLANE CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

Currently under US CFR Part 25 aircraft windshields are certified to withstand the impact
of a 4-pound bird at the design cruising speed (Vc) of the aircraft. The windshields must
not fail or spall (allow flying glass shards). Unfortunately, in 1997 in three incidents with
B-737 and DC-9 aircraft, three crew members were injured by flying glass when their
aircraft struck small birds at 250 knots or less. In August 2000, a B-737 over New York
at 10,000’ and 310 knots collided with a goose. The captain’s window spalled spraying
the cockpit with flying glass and the aircraft depressurized. Under the same rule the
aircraft empennage (tail) must not fail if it strikes an 8-pound bird at Vc. This rule was
added after a Viscount lost its tail and crashed after encountering a flock of swans (20-25
pound bird).

IFALPA POSITION

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots believes that it is vital for each
country/region to participate in a Bird Strike Committee, such as International Birdstrike
Committee (www.int-birdstrike.com), BSC-USA (www.birdstrike.com). The gathering
of data, sharing of scientific knowledge and opportunity to serve as a contact point for
wildlife mitigation practices are vital.
Additionally, IFALPA most strongly feels that ICAO Annex 14 must be amended. The
current idea that a recommended practice will serve well in the face of increasing wildlife
populations conflicting with aviation has outlived its time. A standard must be
developed and promulgated to address this public safety issue which will only get worse

INDUSTRY POSITIONS:
Are airport operators the only responsible parties? What actions are being taken by and
what are the positions on mitigation of IATA, ACI, government regulators?
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WHAT CAN PILOTS DO?

• Slow down. The force of impact (kinetic energy) is directly related to the speed of
the aircraft: one- half of the mass (bird) times the speed of the object (aircraft)
squared equals KE expressed in foot pounds per square inch. The impact on an
aircraft traveling at 320 knots with an 8-pound goose would be 36,462 foot
pounds per square inch, whereas if the aircraft were traveling at 200 knots the
impact force of the same bird would be only 14,243 foot pounds per square inch.
At slower speeds birds bounce off, at high speeds they penetrate.
• Do not participate in high-speed climbs at low altitude in known migratory or
wintering areas for large animals, such as the U.S. Gulf Coast. Geese and swans
will fly as high as 12,000’ during migration.
• Don’t takeoff. When confronted by wildlife hazards, treat the hazard as one
would treat other transient aviation hazards such as thunderstorms: wait until they
pass. Don’t assume anything that can be done from the cockpit will affect the
actions of the wildlife. Dr. Tom Kelly’s work for Aer Rianta clearly indicates that
birds aren’t influenced by loud noises, such as the spooling up of jet engines.
• If warned of high bird activity in an area, climb using the standard ICAO noise
abatement profile. As 90% of birdstrikes occur below 3,000 feet, climbing on the
ICAO standard noise abatement profile accomplishes 4 things: (1) the aircraft
climbs through the danger zone as quickly as possible; (2) the aircraft is flying
slower; (3) the steep angle will keep the aircraft within or closer to the airport
boundary, where the airport operator can and should be able to influence the
threat by mitigation; (4) the aircraft is a “good neighbor”, operating more quietly.
• What doesn’t work: don’t turn on the radar, birds don’t hear in the x-band. Turn
on aircraft lights but remember birds and airplanes takeoff and land into the wind
– they won’t see you if you’re coming from behind them. What does work:
patience, planning and avoidance. Confronted with wildlife, select another
runway for operations if possible. If not possible, delay takeoff or landing.
Worldwide, airlines are not giving their pilots this instruction.
• Make a report. Report an observed threat to either ATC or the airport operator so
that the threat may be mitigated. Use the word “Pirep” to remind ATC to pass
along the warning. Make a written report of a wildlife strike whether it results in
damage or not. The Dutch Air Force, which requires mandatory reporting, has
observed a direct relationship between strikes: for every 5 non-damaging strikes
observed, there is 1 damaging strike. For every 150 damaging strikes there is an
aircraft lost.
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WHAT CAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS DO?

• Comply with FAA Order 7110.65 (Air Traffic Controllers Handbook) paragraph
2-1-22, which requires controllers to issue warnings regarding wildlife hazards.
These warnings are similar in nature to warnings issued by controllers regarding
windshear or braking action.
• Don’t assume wildlife are harmless; don’t issue clearances into hazards. If a
pickup truck or bucket of bolts were on the runway, would you issue a clearance
to land?

WHAT CAN STATION AGENTS DO?

• Don’t feed the birds! At MSP the MAC has removed 6 bird feeders from
Northwest jetways placed on the jetways by NWA employees. Observe your
catering trucks, are birds perching on them?
• Close Dumpster lids; do not allow Dumpsters to overflow. Do not tolerate birds
loafing around the operations area. A DC-10 at SEA ingested a gull into an
engine as it taxied into the gate.
• Participate in airport safety meetings; make wildlife an issue just like snow
removal.
• Report observed wildlife hazards to the airport operator.

WHAT CAN DISPATCHERS/SYSTEM OPERATIONS CONTROL DO?

• Know where the birds are, know when the birds are coming: twice a year in North
America a migration of over 300 million birds occurs. Wildlife leave Canada and
the U.S. every fall for their wintering grounds in Central America and the
Caribbean. They return along the same routes every spring. A similar migration
happens in Europe-East Africa. Their movements are predictable.
• Know when the birds arrive: Nexrad radar absolutely shows the presence of large
bird flocks, as do ATC ASR 8,9,11 radar. They are absolutely visible today with
today’s technology. Use the technology available in every dispatch center at
every airline to issue “near real-time” warnings. This type of warning is the same
alert as a poor braking action report or a warning of the presence of a large
thunderstorm, which may create a delay or increase flight time.
• In the United States, access the Air Force’s AHAS site at www.ahas.com to
obtain the latest real- time information as to wildlife threats. Refer to it as one
refers to the National Weather Service’s radar depiction map. In the first year of
its use the Air Force Air Combat Command found that the AHAS reduced its
birdstrikes by 70%.
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WHAT CAN MANAGEMENT/OWNERS DO?

• Offer training to employees as to the risk and mitigation of wildlife. Currently no

training is offered nor is any required by government regulation to alert airline
employees that wildlife are a risk. Only one airline in the world even mentions
wildlife as a hazard in its flight operations manual.
• Establish guidelines for operations around wildlife hazards. This industry
mitigates windshear, ground de- icing, volcanic ash, wake turbulence; we can
mitigate wildlife hazards also.
• Report hazards and strikes, both damaging and non-damaging, to the proper
government reporting facility. Nothing can be done about wildlife hazards
without data. Too many airport operators adopt the attitude “no report – no
problem”. Non-damaging strikes are a countdown to a damaging strike. In the
U.S. only 2 airlines bother to report their strikes to the FAA/USDA strike
database.

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

• In November 1999, the NTSB released 9 recommendations to the FAA regarding

wildlife hazards. The FAA has responded to the recommendations.

TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY

• At Phoenix, the City of Tempe constructed a 2- mile long lake at the east end of
Skyharbor airport. Aircraft must pass over the lake on takeoff or landing at
around 650 feet. The lake has been stocked with fish and is attracting flocks of
cormorants and waterfowl. For the first time in history pelicans have appeared in
the Phoenix area. The pelicans are attracted to the lake.
• At Philadelphia, between October 1998 and January 2000, five jet aircraft
suffered the loss of an engine due to bird ingestion. In August 2000, an
Evergreen International B-747 struck a flock of geese during takeoff, destroying
the #1 engine, damaging the #2 and #4 leading edge devices and blowing 9 tires.

INDUSTRY RESPONSE

• None. There are no industry groups working on the problem. It is not discussed
at CAST, not a project at Flight Safety Foundation or any other group working on
safety issues. The vice president of Evergreen International was told by ATA that
ATA views this hazard “…with a collective yawn”.
• When volcanic ash emerged as an aviation threat ICAO convened a worldwide
task force to address the hazard. No aircraft have ever been lost to volcanic ash.
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NEXT ACCIDENT IS PREVENTABLE

• Wildlife are on the airport for three reasons: (1) eating; (2) drinking; (3) loafing.
Eliminate these three attractants and the wildlife simply go elsewhere.
• We know there are 2 migrations a year. The U.S. Air Force refers to this as
“…waves of biomass.” Their coming and going are reliable and predictable.
• Wildlife will continue to come to airport areas as long as attractants are present: a
strike without remedial action is simply ignoring the problem and a countdown to
the next strike. Impact and fire destroyed the Dallas Cowboys football team’s
Learjet in December 2000, when it struck deer on the runway at an airport in
southern Alabama. One month later another Learjet was significant ly damaged
when it struck deer on the same runway at the same airport. Wildlife strikes are
repeatable.
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Appendix

CIVIL HULL LOSSES/FATAL ACCIDENTS

CAUSED BY WILDLIFE

A/C-engine date location birds/weight

Antonov An-8 April, 2000 Pepa, Congo unknown
Twenty-one fatal. After takeoff aircraft struck a flock of birds and one engine lost power.
During attempted return to the airport aircraft crashed and burned.

Dassault Falcon 20 January, 1995 Le Bourget, France lapwing

Uncontained failure, fire 215 grams
Ten fatalities. On takeoff, just after rotation, aircraft encountered flock of lapwings,
ingesting a number into the left engine. Pilot reported fire warning in cockpit and
witnesses observed the rear of the aircraft engulfed in flames. Aircraft attempted return
but crashed near threshold of Runway 21 and was destroyed by impact and post impact
fire. The rear cowl, exit guide vane and a number of fan blades were found on the
runway with the fan disc found 500 meters to the side of the runway. Fifteen dead birds
were found near the rotation point. Investigation revealed that, following bird ingestion,
the fan had separated and exited the engine with shrapnel penetrating the rear fuselage,
puncturing the feeder tanks and fire had immediately broken out in this area.

Antonov An-12 October 1993 Slavgorod, RU unknown

As the aircraft climbed through 150 feet, the #2 and #4 engines failed. Aircraft attempted
return but a forced landing was made prior to reaching the runway. The aircraft slid 460
meters before it caught fire and was destroyed. At the time of departure a large flock of
birds was observed in the vicinity of the runway and it is believed the engine failures
were the result of bird ingestion.

B-707 July, 1990 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia pigeons

Two serious injuries. Takeoff was abandoned after V1 due to bird strikes. Aircraft
overran the runway and was damaged beyond economic repair.

B-737 July, 1988 Bahar Dar, Ethiopia pigeons

JT8D 320 grams
Thirty- five fatal. Pigeons were ingested into both engines on takeoff. Both engines
surged and lost power. Aircraft attempted to return but both engines lost power and a
forced landing was attempted in open country 10 km from the airport. Aircraft touched
down safely but struck a riverbank and burned. Airport elevation is 5,800 feet msl.
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A-300 July, 1986 Madras, India black kite

780 grams
Eleven minor injuries. At 150 knots a large bird was observed on the runway centerline.
The pilot flying attempted to rotate over the bird but a loud noise was heard from the
right engine, followed by vibration. The takeoff was rejected and the aircraft overran the
end of the runway. There was no fire but the aircraft was damaged beyond economical
repair.

Lear 25 August, 1983 Wilmington, Del. Starlings

CJ610 80 grams
At 500 feet on takeoff the aircraft passed through a flock of starlings. Both engines
failed. A forced landing was made in an industrial area. Aircraft struck a grove of trees
and was damaged beyond economical repair.

Lear 35 June, 1982 Le Bourget, France gulls

TFE 731 275 grams
Takeoff was abandoned after V1 after striking a flock of gulls. Aircraft overran runway
and struck the ILS installation, injuring the co-pilot. Engines were not damaged.

Lear 23 April, 1981 Cincinnati, Ohio loon

CJ610 3.7 kg
One fatal. At 4,000 feet a loon penetrated the windscreen, killing the co-pilot and
injuring the pilot. Engine #2 ingested debris and was shut down.

Convair 580 July, 1978 Kalamazoo, Mich. Sparrowhawk

Allison 501 105 grams
Just beyond V1 a sparrowhawk was ingested into one engine, which auto- feathered.
Aircraft crash- landed in a field near the airport. Three injured.

B-737 May, 1978 Gossellies, Belgium pigeons

JT8D 465 grams
During a touch-and-go landing on a training flight, a flock of pigeons was struck and
ingested into one engine. The instructor pilot elected to abandon the takeoff above V1.
The aircraft overran the runway and was destroyed by post-crash fire. The left engine
was found with bird ingestion damage.

Falcon 20 December, 1976 Naples, Fla. Ring billed

CF700 gulls-485 gm
Eleven injured. Both engines failed just after takeoff. A crash landing was made off the
airport.
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Lear 24 June, 1976 Bari, Italy gulls

Both engines failed at about 450 feet after striking a flock of gulls. Aircraft crashed into
a field.

DC-10 December 1975 JFK, New York gulls

CF-6
Uncontained failure-fire
Eleven injured. At V1 the aircraft struck a flock of great black-back, ring billed and
herring gulls. The #3 engine ingested gulls, exploded and caused a severe wing fire. The
takeoff was abandoned and the aircraft stopped on the airport. The aircraft was destroyed
by fire. All passengers were airline employees on a positioning flight.

HS125 November, 1975 Dunsfold, UK lapwings

Viper 215 grams
Six third party fatalities. At 75 feet on takeoff lapwings were ingested into both engines,
which lost power. Aircraft crashed at the end of the runway and slid into a nearby parked
car. Postcrash fire destroyed the aircraft.

Sabreliner June, 1975 Watertown, S.D. gulls

JT12A 260 grams
Aircraft ingested gulls into both engines on takeoff. Aircraft crash- landed off the airport,
tearing off both wings. Aircraft was destroyed by postcrash fire.

Falcon 20 December, 1973 Norwich, UK gulls

CF700
Just after takeoff the aircraft ingested gulls into both engines. Aircraft crash landed in a
nearby field.

Lear 24 March, 1973 Atlanta, GA cowbirds

CJ610 44 grams
Seven fatal. Just after takeoff both engines suffered power loss due to bird ingestion.
Aircraft crashed into buildings in nearby industrial park. Left engine had 14 strikes and
right engine at least 5 strikes.

Falcon 20 July, 1966 Lake Erie, OH gulls

Gulls ingested in both engines after takeoff. Aircraft ditched in the lake; 315 dead birds
found on runway.

Vickers Viscount November, 1966 Maryland, USA whistling

Dart swan- 6kg
Seventeen fatal. At night at 6,000 feet, aircraft struck a flock of Whistling swans. One
penetrated the tailplane leading edge, causing the tail to detach. Aircraft crashed.
 11

Lockheed Electra April, 1960 Boston, Mass starlings

Allison 501 80 grams
Sixty-two fatal. Immediately after takeoff aircraft ingested birds into at least 3 engines.
Engine #1 was shut down, engines #2 & #4 lost power. Aircraft stalled and spun into the
harbor. Worst birdstrike accident.

LARGE MILITARY TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT

C-130 July, 1996 Eindhoven, Neth. Starlings

Allison 501
Thirty- four fatal. On approach to the airport aircraft struck huge flock of blackbirds,
ingesting birds into multiple engines. Aircraft crashed on airport. Postcrash fire was
responsible for most fatalities.

E-3 (B-707) July, 1996 Aktion, Greece unknown

On takeoff the aircraft struck multiple flocks of birds. Takeoff was aborted at high speed
and aircraft overran the end of the runway into the Aegean Sea. Aircraft was damaged
beyond economical repair

E-3 (B-707) September, 1995 Anchorage, Alaska Canada geese

Twenty- four fatal. On takeoff the aircraft struck a flock of about 30 Canada geese,
ingesting birds into two engines. Aircraft was uncontrollable below Vmcair and crashed
into high terrain near the end of the runway.

References:
Thorp, John. Proceedings, International Birdstrike Committee. London, 1996.

Birdstrike Committee-USA. www.birdstrike.org

Reuters News Agency.