About 300,000 Bird Strike Cases Reported in 30 Years
Hundreds of Incidents Occur Annually, but No Clear Solution in Sight
In Brazil, a series of aircraft accidents caused by bird strikes have recently occurred, prompting authorities to make every effort to prevent such incidents.
On the 23rd (local time), Yonhap News, citing local media such as G1 and Agencia Brasil, reported that a Gol Airlines passenger plane, which took off from Brasilia and was heading to Congonhas Airport in S?o Paulo, collided with a flock of birds and returned to the airport. Fortunately, the aircraft made an emergency landing after about 40 minutes, and authorities stated that there were no injuries.
Recently, a series of aircraft accidents caused by bird strikes have occurred in Brazil, and authorities are making every effort to prevent such accidents. TMZ
On the 20th, a LATAM Airlines passenger plane departing from Rio de Janeiro Gale?o Airport to S?o Paulo Guarulhos Airport also collided with birds and returned to Rio de Janeiro. Local media reported that the impact was relatively severe, with the nose cone of the aircraft's front part damaged. LATAM Airlines stated, "Although no one was seriously injured, appropriate measures will be taken to compensate passengers for psychological damage." On the 17th, a LATAM Airlines passenger plane also returned to Fortaleza Pinto Airport in Brazil shortly after takeoff due to a bird strike. Brazilian authorities, who once deployed robot falcons to prevent accidents, explained to G1 that they have strengthened bird monitoring and expanded measures to prevent bird strikes.
Increasing Trend of Aircraft 'Bird Strikes' and Prevention Measures
Bird strikes, collisions between fast-flying aircraft and slow-flying birds, are serious because of the impact force caused by collisions with small birds. The change in momentum of an object, proportional to its mass and velocity, acts directly as the impact force. For aircraft, birds flying at the same speed as the plane cause a significant impact. Above all, aircraft use many composite materials to reduce weight, resulting in thin fuselage thickness and vulnerability to external impacts. Due to this, bird strikes can break the cockpit windshield or tear the wings, and because of the nature of jet engines that intake air, birds sucked into the engine can cause malfunctions.
According to the "U.S. Civil Aircraft and Wildlife Collision Report" compiled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 1990 to 2023, a total of 296,613 collisions between aircraft and wildlife have been reported over the past 30 years, with bird strikes accounting for 95% of these incidents. Asia Economy
According to the "U.S. Civil Aircraft and Wildlife Strike Report" compiled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 1990 to 2023, a total of 296,613 wildlife strikes involving aircraft were reported over the past 30 years, with bird strikes accounting for 95% of these incidents. In 2023, there were 19,603 reported bird strikes, a 14% increase compared to 2022. The report attributed this rise mainly to increased aircraft operations and bird populations following the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, there were 623 bird strike incidents over five years and six months, showing an increasing trend after COVID-19, according to data received by Democratic Party lawmaker Jeonyong-gi from Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation. Globally, various deterrent methods are being tried to reduce bird strikes that can cause major disasters, but a fundamental solution has yet to be found.
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