USA Today: Study Shows Bird Strikes Have Increased Since 1990s | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.13.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.14.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.15.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.16.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.17.24

Wed, Apr 08, 2009

USA Today: Study Shows Bird Strikes Have Increased Since 1990s

Cites Data From FAA Database Showing 62 Percent Increase

Aero-News reported last months on findings by the Associated Press, that the FAA applied on March 24 for permission to lock down its database of bird strike reports. The agency expressed the concern release of the data would cast a negative light on the images of certain airports, and the airline industry in general.

Now, USA Today has apparently found a copy that got out before the January 15 ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 made the issue a hot topic. The paper reports FAA data shows collisions between airliners and large birds have risen dramatically since the agency started keeping track in 1990.

Strikes by birds large enough to cripple an airliner averaged 323 per year through the 1990s. Between 2000 and 2007, the average was 524. That's a 62 percent increase.

"In most cases it's going to be these large birds that are going to cause a catastrophe or a significant strike event," said Richard Dolbeer, the retired Department of Agriculture wildlife biologist who created the FAA strike database.

Alas, any data is of limited use in reaching statistically valid conclusions, because -- despite pressure from the National Transportation Safety Board -- reporting strikes is not mandatory. The FAA estimates only 20 percent of strikes are reported.

Furthermore, only a relatively small percentage of even reported strikes are severe. "Significant strikes are still a very small part of the total bird strike numbers," said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown.

FMI: www.faa.gov

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.16.24): Instrument Runway

Instrument Runway A runway equipped with electronic and visual navigation aids for which a precision or nonprecision approach procedure having straight-in landing minimums has been>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.16.24)

Aero Linx: Alaska Airmen's Association The Alaska Airmen's Association includes over 2,000 members—we are one of the largest General Aviation communities in the country. We s>[...]

Airborne 05.15.24: Ghost Sq MidAir, B-2 Junked, Dream Chaser Readies

Also: Flt School Security, G600 Steep-Approach, Honduran Aid, PW545D Cert Two aircraft performing at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show clipped wings during a routine last Sunday, spooki>[...]

Airborne 05.10.24: Icon Auction, Drunk MedEvac Pilot, Bell ALFA

Also: SkyReach Parts Support, Piper Service Ctr, Airliner Near-Miss, Airshow London The Judge overseeing Icon's convoluted Chapter 11 process has approved $9 million in Chapter 11 >[...]

Airborne Affordable Flyers 05.16.24: PRA Runway, Wag-Aero Sold, Young Eagles

Also: Paramotor Champ's, Electric Ultralight, ICON BK Update, Burt Rutan at Oshkosh! The Popular Rotorcraft Association is reaching out for help in rebuilding their private runway >[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC