Washington: When an American Airlines plane struck a bird after taking off in Columbus, Ohio, and had to immediately return to the airport Sunday, it wasn't the first collision between an aircraft and bird this year.
In fact, more than 2,300 wildlife strikes have already been reported in 2023 - the vast majority of those animals being birds, according to a database maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration. While 97 per cent of the strikes involve birds, they can also include run-ins with bats or creatures on the ground like deer, coyotes, turtles or alligators.
"Wildlife strikes with aircraft are increasing in the United States and elsewhere," the FAA site says. "Expanding wildlife populations, increases in number of aircraft movements, a trend toward faster and quieter aircraft, and outreach to the aviation community all have contributed to the observed increase in reported wildlife strikes."
A hazard to aviation
The agency says that across the world, more than 300 people were killed due to wildlife strikes and nearly 300 planes were destroyed between 1988 and 2021. The vast majority of strikes - 92 per cent - happen at 3,500 feet or lower, according to the FAA.
"Bird strikes are a hazard to aviation," said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. "And it happens frequently and not just to commercial airplanes, but to all sorts of aircraft."
Last year, the FAA received reports of 17,195 strikes in the United States or on US carriers in foreign airports. That's slightly lower than the number of reports in 2019, 17,337, though higher than any year since. Strike reporting is voluntary, though air traffic controllers are required to report incidents.
Airports need to manage their habitats to reduce or get rid of trees and plants that shelter birds, or address wetlands that can attract birds. Collecting data on what kinds of birds are involved in strikes is also important, so the risks can better be managed.
While the number of strikes is in the thousands, FAA data shows that damage is reported in a small percentage of incidents. Last year, according to the voluntary reporting system, 695 strikes involved some kind of damage - and only 36 of those caused "substantial" damage.
Still, the cost of wildlife strikes to the aviation industry in the United States in 2021 was projected to be $328 million, according to an FAA report.
Bird strikes can refer to any time a bird hits a plane - whether it's on the ground or in the air, or comes into contact with a wing, windshield or other part of the aircraft, said Flavio Mendonca, an assistant professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
He said some of the most disruptive types of strikes can happen when one or more birds go into a plane's engine.
"If it's bird ingestions in the engine, there might be a lot of damage to the aircraft," he said. While a dual-engine jet can still fly with one engine out of commission, he said the pilot would need to return to the airport or find a safe place to land.
"There might be another problem with the other engine that is still operating," Mendonca said. "They may not know the amount of damage to the engine if there was a bird ingestion."
In perhaps the most famous bird strike incident, a US Airways jet lost power in both engines after striking geese after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in 2009. The captain, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, brought the plane down in the Hudson River in what became known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." All 155 people onboard survived.
American Airlines incident
In Sunday's American Airlines incident, the Phoenix-bound flight was able to land normally in Columbus after what the airline described as a "mechanical issue." Video footage showed flames in the engine, though American did not address those images. The plane returned to Columbus shortly after takeoff and was taken out of service for maintenance.
Shahidi said engine manufacturers test for bird strikes and pilots are trained on how to respond if they lose an engine in flight.
"The pilot in this case did exactly what he was trained to do," Shahidi said.
The FAA has a wildlife mitigation program in place, which requires airports to assess the risks of wildlife and keep up their own hazard management plans when there has been a significant strike.
Shahidi said airports need to manage their habitats to reduce or get rid of trees and plants that shelter birds, or address wetlands that can attract birds. Collecting data on what kinds of birds are involved in strikes is also important, he said, so the risks can better be managed. The Smithsonian Institution runs a Feather Identification Lab to identify species for that purpose.
Shahidi said many airports also use audible signals to scare birds away, such as avian distress calls or the sounds of fireworks.
"There are a whole host of things that are being used by airports to try to manage the habitat and birds around the airport," he said.
