What is Bird Strike

Bird strike is the term given to an incident when an aircraft pilot reports a strike, there is evidence of a strike on, in, or surrounding an aircraft or runway, or a responsible person witnesses a strike and the remains of a bird are found in the vicinity of the runway without another explanation.

Since 1912 bird strikes have brought down more than 360 civil and military aircraft, caused severe damage to aircraft and resulted in a reported 370 human fatalities – the figures indicative of bird strike incidents recorded only, with specialists suggesting the figure is grossly underestimated and the reporting process inconsistent.

It is more common that bird strike results in minor aircraft damage however the potential disruption to flight schedules, aircraft and crew downtime, passenger inconvenience and risk to personnel poses ever increasing and substantial costs. It is estimated bird strikes cost the civil aviation industry $1.2billion US per year. In 2007 in Australia a total of 1217 bird strikes were reported with the incidents rated as one of the most common causes of aviation accidents.

With more than 90% of bird strikes occurring at low altitudes in the vicinity of airports, various methods have been implemented in the past to reduce bird attraction to the aerodrome region, operate dispersal programs and scare birds from approach and departure paths.