Premium on Safety - Issue 42 2021 - 11

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
WHAT TO DO IN-FLIGHT
Once we're in the air, there are a few bird strike mitigation
strategies to consider:
* Be proactive. Reports of birds or wildlife near a specific
runway should prompt pilots to proceed with caution. Choose
a runway that won't require overflying wildlife areas. Pilots
can also ask airport operations to disperse birds (if they
have the capability). If pilots spot a flock of birds ahead on
approach, and there is time to react, consideration should be
given to going around to avoid the hazard.
* Altitude is your friend. Up to 95 percent of bird strikes
occur below 3,000 feet. During migration, strikes at even
higher altitudes can be expected as ducks and geese are
frequently observed up to 7,000 feet. The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) advises limiting the amount of time
spent at these altitudes. For example, when taking off,
consider flying an efficient climb profile to reduce time spent
in " bird territory. "
* Fly slow. Aircraft damage resulting from a bird strike increases
exponentially with airspeed-for instance, a 20 percent
increase in airspeed results in a 44 percent increase in impact
force. As a result, flying slower in areas of bird activity may
help reduce the probability of significant aircraft damage
resulting from a collision.
* Pitch up. Avian experts agree that birds tend to turn away or
dive when confronted with an aircraft. " If encountering birds,
pull up, " says Cooke. This strategy reduces the chance of
striking a bird while also helping protect some of the aircraft's
most sensitive areas, such as the flight deck windows.
* High thrust = high damage. If there is little time to react, it
may no longer be prudent to execute a go-around. Ingesting
birds at reduced thrust settings (such as on approach) is
typically less damaging to engines than ingesting birds at
higher thrust settings (such as takeoffs and go-arounds).
The harder an engine works, the more sensitive it can be to
ingestion damage.
* PIREPs. Help your fellow aviators by advising air traffic
control (ATC) any time you've had, or suspect that you've had,
a bird strike. ATC can warn other aircraft of bird activity and
mobilize airport ops or bird scaring.
* Submit a report. Perhaps, though, the most critical and often
neglected part is closing the loop and submitting a bird strike
report. Let's learn more about this.
REPORTING IS KEY
It is estimated that only 40 to 60 percent of bird strikes are
formally reported in the United States. This poses a problem
because bird strike reports provide invaluable data about bird
patterns that allow airports and regulators to manage and reduce
bird strikes. The low level of participation in voluntary wildlife
strike reporting has resulted in data that severely underestimates
the number and type of actual wildlife strikes.
After the 2008 Cessna Citation 500 crash in Oklahoma City,
the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) expressed
concern about the effectiveness of voluntary bird-strike reporting
in the U.S. " The voluntary reporting system has not resulted
in the provision of adequate data on bird-strike hazards, and
this has hindered the proper evaluation of the problem and
implementation of safety improvements. "
According to Cooke, in many countries outside the United States,
bird strike reporting is mandatory, which results in greater
participation. The implications for international pilots are that,
if encountering a bird strike abroad, not reporting it could be
considered a regulatory violation.
If you suspect or have a bird strike encounter in the United
States or abroad, submit a report on www.wildlife.faa.gov. The
collection and analysis of data from bird strike reports is a critical
tool to identify and mitigate more wildlife strikes occurring to
other crews.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
Unfortunately, neither the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549
nor the fatal crash of the Cessna Citation 500 in Oklahoma City
spurred significant regulatory changes in the industry that bird
strike experts had hoped for.
Currently, biologists and airport operators are the ones
spearheading bird strike mitigation efforts (outside of the military),
leaving a void that can be filled by air traffic control, insurance
providers, and aircraft operators.
Ultimately, Cooke believes that education is critical. " I think most
professional flight departments have a safety program so that they
can incorporate bird strike awareness into safety training. "
Fortunately, many of the tools to mitigate bird strikes and weather
during migration season are here. Pilots, operators, and regulatory
bodies just need to embrace them voluntarily.
-Claire Ealding is a professional pilot with a master's in aviation
human factors and Co-Founder of Clearway Aviation Services, Inc.
We chatted with longtime GA pilot Loren Kopseng. Loren experienced an alarming bird strike
at night while flying his Aviat Husky out of North Dakota, and he joins us to tell the story.
11

https://wildlife.faa.gov/home

Premium on Safety - Issue 42 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Premium on Safety - Issue 42 2021