When it comes to aviation safety, one of the most insidious and unpredictable risks is represented by the phenomenon of bird strike, i.e. impacts between aircraft and birds during take-off, landing or cruise operations. These accidents, although rare, can have serious consequences and jeopardize flight safety. Think that the Federal Aviation Administration reports more than every year 10,000 bird strikesfor an annual cost of damage to aircraft and delays of approximately 400 million dollars only in North America. Globally the same value should be around 1.5 billion dollars.
The damage of the bird strike
The nature of damage to aircraft caused by bird strikes varies depending on dimensions of the aircraft. Smaller aircraft, especially propeller-driven ones, are more susceptible to this risk because they fly at lower odds compared to airliners. In these cases, the impact can cause structural damage significant, such as penetration of cockpit windshields or damage to flight control surfaces.
As for the airlinersthe engines are particularly vulnerable to impacts with birds. The turbine blades, Even when made of durable materials like titanium, they can suffer damage from bird bones, beaks and other parts, causing dents, cracks or even the loss of entire blades. This can create turbulence in the engine air flowleading to a partial loss of thrust or, in extreme cases, complete engine failure. During the phase of certificationturbine engines are tested for ingestion of birds weighing approximately 2 kg to ensure that any damage is contained within the engine itself, without further damage to the rest of the aircraft.

An example of a catastrophic accident caused by a bird strike is flying US Airways 1549 of January 15, 2009when an Airbus 320 lost power in both engines after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York due to a flock of birds. The commander Chesley”Sully“Sullenberger made the prompt decision to land in Hudson River, saving all the 155 people on board.
How to prevent bird strikes
To minimize the risk of bird strikes, i pilots must be constantly vigilant during critical phases of the flight, particularly during the takeoff and thelanding, where the risk of impact with birds is greater. Whenever possible, the presence of birds must be reported to air traffic controllers, who in turn will inform subsequent aircraft. Furthermore, pilots should try to rise above 3,000 feet (900 meters) as quickly as possible after takeoff, since most bird strikes occur at lower altitudes.
To reduce the presence of birds in the airspace actually also airports take various measures. These include the habitat modification (e.g. eliminating waste and managing vegetation) and the use of acoustic deterrents and visualsuch as gas cannons, predator calls, and strobe lights. Advanced technologies, such as drones, low power laser And specialized radar systemsare increasingly used to monitor and deter birds. Finally, traditional methods such as falconry remain effective: the use of hawks, which act as natural predators, creates a hostile environment for smaller birds, causing them to move elsewhere.