Bird Strikes

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Recreational Flying - Photo Gallery - Bird Strikes

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Owi]

Crikey!

 

Some of those strikes are really cringeworthy. Makes an RA pilot feel less envious of those faster types which can't avoid this incident so much as we can.

 

I once had a near birdstrike.

 

I was on my third or fourth lesson in a C152. I had the controls and was about ready to turn base to 29R at YSBK when four or five Jabiru-like birds suddenly appeared in my flightpath! My instructor did not see them as he was scanning the runway at the time. Well, it was a useful lesson to know how (these) birds react to a near hit - they just tucked their wings in and dived. It was pretty amazing how quickly they dropped. Much quicker and safer than we could react and move to avoid them!

 

So I think the lesson here is: don't try to go under birds in your flight path - they are far nimbler than you or your aircraft. Rather climb over or turn to the rear of them.

 

Keep those eyes peeled!

 

 

[dazza 38]

Great photo's Ian, a great presentation on how much damage is done by birds.Thanks

 

 

[GraemeK]

We have a few Ibis that occasionally hang around the runways, have seen some up close but never hit. The other day there was a pile of feathers at the threshold of 36R - don't know what hit it. Also seen an eagle in the circuit at 1000'.

 

The highest recorded bird strike was at 37,000 feet, I think. Amazing the things can survive in what is pretty much a freezing vacuum!

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

I remember yrs ago working the F111 Flightline at 6sqn Amberley and afterflighting a jet at night finding a fruitbat neatly wrapped around the front landing light.... I dont recall anything being written up about an unserviceable light and it was definately fully dark....

 

I also remember seeing a radome on an F111 absolutely destroyed by a bird strike, where the bird ended up between the layers of fibreglass. What amazed me was that the radar antenna, a fragile thing, seemed perfectly serviceable despite being out in the air at watever speed they were doing when they collided..

 

I seem to recall that one of the 1st F111's that was lost in australia, with both crew, was a result of a pelican strike, no visability, low and inverted when the module escape handle was pulled rocketed straight into the ground... If you had to have a birdstrike think swallow not pelican!!

 

Andy

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Makes an RA pilot feel less envious of those faster types which can't avoid this incident so much as we can.

You can't avoid a bird strike no matter what you are flying!

I have had over 30 bird strikes since I started flying, including one of 22 birds (galahs)!:ah_oh:

 

When I look back, the scariest was a near miss when I was a student pilot in the training area at Whittlesea. A wedge tailed eagle passed under the wing of the C-150 I was flying! Luckily I didn't know then, what I know now, so it didn't bother me at the time, it is only now that I have seen what birds can do, that I realise how lucky I was!:thumb_up:

 

PS: I'd rather a bird than a kangaroo!

 

 

[rick-p]

Well I don't know what would be worse a Kangaroo or one of the Bustards (plain turkey) that frequent my strip.

 

At least with a roo you more likely than not would be on the ground or at leat almost there.

 

These confounded protected dam flying fortress turkeys reach a reasonable altidude but are quite slow and would take forever and a day to move out of your path of travel.

 

It is quite frightening when you are on short finals and you have a dozen of these birds come out of the long grass beside the strip and decide to fly accross your path.

 

They grow to about the size of a small emu without the long legs.

 

I have never hit one but have on a number of occasions come extremely too close for comfort.

 

They are a very determined bird and take a lot of effort in chasing them away.

 

I have only experianced one larger bird strike and that was a crow which in fact attacked us whilst taxing, it flew from the rear of the plane through the prop and we had to return to the tie down area to wash the blood of the screen as basically you couldn't see anything out of it.

 

At Thangool on the grass strip I once cleaned up on takeoff obout 30 poor little swallows who fly so fast I just didn't see them untill they hit me.

 

No damage but a big mess.

 

Rick-p

 

 

[rick-p]

You can't avoid a bird strike no matter what you are flying!I have had over 30 bird strikes since I started flying, including one of 22 birds (galahs)!:ah_oh:

 

When I look back, the scariest was a near miss when I was a student pilot in the training area at Whittlesea. A wedge tailed eagle passed under the wing of the C-150 I was flying! Luckily I didn't know then, what I know now, so it didn't bother me at the time, it is only now that I have seen what birds can do, that I realise how lucky I was!:thumb_up:

 

PS: I'd rather a bird than a kangaroo!

Hi Howard,

 

I was out and about the other day in my Lambada and Mido's famous words came to fruition "always expect the unexpected" and that is exactly what happened.

 

I was doing a bit of a refresher with my friend who is a CFI etc etc etc when cruising with throtle back at about 80kts indicated and a probable ground speed of 100kts, at 3,000 feet, when I spotted a small object in front of us.

 

This object was coming straight at us and it grew from spec in the sky to something the size of a trike in the matter of a few seconds.

 

I recognised it as a bird, not just in bloody bird but a flaming humungus wedge tail eagle.

 

I was mezmorized by it as everything suddenly went into slow motion, frame by frame.

 

I could see every detail, it's wing span was huge, it had it legs pointed forward with it's talons open.

 

It was in attack mode, I have no doubt about this.

 

It's intentions were obvious, it wanted to take us on for invading it's airspace.

 

Thank God for the very quick reflex action of my trusty passenger, he was a split second ahead of me, he rolled us very quickly and steeply to the right and the eagle, at a great rate of kts, went past and under the raised wing.

 

I have no doubt that if it had hit us that it would have been all over red rover.

 

In the past on occasions when gliding and even in my Skyfox I have encounted wedge tail eagles but they have always been travelling in the same direction and have not displayed any agression.

 

I have had one soaring in a thermal just above the canopy of the glider not threatening in any way and I was not worried at all as it was simply amazing to watch.

 

Yesterday though was another story, it scared the c:sad:p out of me.

 

Lesson well and truly learnt.

 

Rick-p

 

 

[turboplanner]

Years ago in a Warrior coming in to land at Cootamundra a flock of galahs lifted, then zigged when they should have zagged a fraction before I touched down, and came sweeping through. A few bumps and feathers and a bang from the starboard wing, and a dent in the leading edge about the size of half a football. VH BUN was based in Albury and had a patch rivetted over the dent for years.

 

More recently on climb out from 22 at Tooradin in a J170, a big Skua was hanging quite close to the flight path, then just as I'd figured we would be clear of each other, he started a drift and whistled through the triangle of fuse/wing/stay.

 

 

[XP503]

I hit a Galah on finals at Boonah in a Gazelle a few years ago. I was at idle and it went through the prop, it didn't do any damage.

 

 

[Tomo]

I hit a Galah on finals at Boonah in a Gazelle a few years ago. I was at idle and it went through the prop, it didn't do any damage.

Bet ya it woke you up though... :big_grin:

 

 

[XP503]

Sure did, I was late finals and a whole flock filled the windscreen, I just cringed and ploughed through them.....

 

I was surprised to only find one dead bird on the runway. (although in two pieces....)

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Another good reason for having the tall windscreen on the trike. At least it gives me the impression of some protection. Even with a full face helmet, I shudder to think how much force would be involved in a direct strike, even at only 60kn.

 

Had a Cockatoo beak go straight through the turning indicator lens that was recessed in the bull bar on my car!

 

Haven't had a strike in the trike, but had a large water bird fly across in front of me on take-off one day.

 

I've been advised never to fly under an eagle, as they dive straight through the fabric wing:ah_oh:

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Is it still compulsory for GA to report birdstrikes??Its a wonder the requirement has not extended to RAA.

Birdstrike or even a "near miss" is still a specific mandatory reportable incident ("preferably using an ASIR") as per the VFR Guide (Page 33) which cites the "Air Navigation Act 1920 under Part 2a (S19AC)". This is where the trail runs cold, since the current compilation of this Act has no "Part 2a" and Section 19 under Part 2 refers to "carriage of munitions".

 

Digging a bit further, Part 2a Sections Sections 19AA to 19AG were added by Act No. 174 of 1995 and the repealed by Act No. 19 of 2003.

 

The repealed referenced "Part 2a (S19AC)" actually defines the term Incident and makes no reference to the causal factor(s) involved:

 

19AC. For the purposes of this Part, an incident is an occurrence, other than an accident or a serious incident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of the operation of the aircraft or another aircraft.<lf></lf>

For purposes of understanding the quote, the term Serious Incident is effectively defined as a near miss, in today's language.The repealing legislation was created pursuant to the creation of the Transport Safety Investigation Act, 2003. This Act isn't really definitive. It certainly defines what ATSB can investigate and includes at the low end of severity (at Part 4 Division 1 Section 23):

 

• the transport vehicle is involved in an occurrence that
  affected, or could have affected, the safety of the operation of
  the transport vehicle.
   
   
  
• "For the purposes of this Act, a transport safety matter also includes something that occurred that affected, is affecting, or might affect, transport safety."
   
   
  

 

 

It also creates the offence for not reporting "an Immediately Reportable Matter", the meaning of which is to be determined by Regulations. The Act also provides for a "Voluntary and confidential reporting system" to be able to be created by Regulations.

 

So, bottom line at this stage is I'm not much closer to answering CFI's question

 

------------------------------------

 

I hadn't realised it wasn't in RAA. Is there a specific exception for RAA?

 

 

[winsor68]

This cowl was in a hanger at Clermont...

 

The feathers appear to belong to a Wedge Tail Eagle... The cowl appears to belong to a Cirrus. I was surprised that this was the only wreckage in evidence.

 

 

 

[Ding]

Close calls

 

When I was learning at Moorabin years ago, there was a tip off the end of 17L & R which attracted seagulls, close calls were the rule rather than the exception.

 

Another example of urban planning.

 

At Lethbridge, there is (or was) a wedgetail eagle that used to fly beside aircraft on down wind. Got so close you could see his eyeball. Never attacked, just kept close company.

 

Decending into Temora circuit this easter had a wedgetail cross just behind us. I was concentrating on the circuit, only allerted by my pax. Another set of eyes is a good thing to have.

 

Cheers,

 

Ding.