Over a week ago, a Virgin Australia flight departing from Queenstown in New Zealand headed for Melbourne experienced a possible bird strike that caused the right engine of the Boeing 737-800 to sound loud bangs and emit flames. The pilot carried on with the single remaining engine and brought the plane and its 73 passengers and crew to a safe emergency landing at Invercargill airport. This incident highlights the reality of common bird strikes and their effect on aircraft, which can lead to significant damage and sometimes even fatalities.
A bird strike is typically defined as a collision between an aircraft and a bird, although this can extend to encounters with land creatures such as deer, rabbits, dogs, and alligators. Bird strikes have been recorded since 1905 and happen daily, with fluctuations due to birds’ migratory patterns.
Approximately 90 percent of bird strikes occur near airports, predominantly during takeoff, landing, and while flying at lower altitudes. The impact varies based on several factors, including the type of aircraft, and can include engine shutdown. While larger aircraft, like the Boeing 737-800, can continue to fly on a single engine, bird strikes can be catastrophic for smaller, single-engine planes. Since 1988, 262 bird strike-related fatalities have been reported worldwide, with 250 aircrafts destroyed.
To mitigate these risks, pilots are trained to be particularly cautious during early mornings and sunsets when birds are most active, while radar is used to track bird movements. Engine manufacturers, like Boeing and Airbus, test their engines’ safety by launching high-speed chickens at them while in full thrust.
Airports as well apply various techniques to deter birds and animals from wandering around the airport, such as mimicking shotgun sounds with minor gas explosions or planting certain grasses and plants that are not attractive to birds.
(Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation at CQUniversity Australia, provided this information. Originally published on RNZ via The Conversation)
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