Dangers In The Skies Above

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), August 7, 2008

THE first known bird strike was in 1908, five years after Orville and Wilbur Wright flew.

The first fatality due to a bird strike was the pilot of a Wright Flyer hit by a gull in 1912.

The impact of a 12lb bird on a plane travelling at 150 mph is equal to that of a half-tonne weight dropped from a height of 10ft.

Under the Air Navigation Order, any aircraft commander flying in UK airspace who believes his aircraft has collided with one or more birds has a duty to inform the Civil Aviation Authority, whether or not damage was caused. This helps the Authority gather information.

There were 1,299 bird strikes in the UK last year, 1,780 in 2006 and 1,650 in 2005.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said: "Bird strikes have been a hazard to aircraft since the earliest days of flying. Bird strikes can lead to aircraft having to abort take-offs, to return to the airport they departed from, or to divert to make an emergency landing. The consequences of a bird strike can also be more serious.

"Modern aircraft engines are designed and built to be resistant to multiple bird strikes from birds of up to 5.5lb. But these requirements are only the last line of defence; it is far better to reduce the chances of birdstrikes happening in the first place."

"The CAA's Safety Regulation Group has a number of initiatives in place to tackle the problem."