Bird Strike!!!

Any experienced pilot will always have eventful stories to share when talking to others about flying. Almost anything can happen during what can seem to be a routine flight, and what is looked upon as extraordinary for most, could be just a small event for pilots that in some cases could have led to a major catastrophe. One of the more uncommon incidents aside from engine failures and mechanical problems are bird strikes. They may seem harmless but for certain aircraft birds can be a dangerous flying hazard. An example of a strike came first hand on Purdue’s trip to the NIFA SAFECON Region VIII competition in Murphysboro, Tennessee.

Purdue University’s Flight Team decided to take two Piper Warriors and one Cessna 182 down to the competition to be used in the flying events. One the way to Tennessee the team stopped in Glasgow, Kentucky to refuel and take a tour through Mammoth Cave. Afterwards the airplanes departed south to Murphysboro and planned to land worry free of any incidents. However it was clear when the airplanes taxied to the ramp that there was something abnormal about the Cessna. When the pilot and passengers exited the airplane they immediately spoke to the head of the team about a midair collision they experienced. Thankfully it was only a bird that hit the airplane but the damage inflicted was very severe. From a distance it was obvious that something had impacted the left wing and caused a substantial dent in the sheet metal. The dent was extremely big for a regular sized bird and the pilot described it as big as a swan. He reported seeing the extremely large bird heading straight for the airplane seconds before impact but there was nothing he could do to maneuver away in time.

After things settled down with the team it was time to deal with the situation at hand because now Purdue’s team was short an airplane in the competition. The head of maintenance for Purdue Aviation was immediately notified and came down the next day to inspect the airplane. He concluded it was safe to fly back to West Lafayette, but Nashville Flight Service had to issue a ferry permit to the airplane in order for it to be a legal operation. Also, the pilot in command had to fill out a bird strike report within 30 days to the Federal Aviation Administration. There are only 390 reported bird strikes reported each year that are classified as incidents, but if a strong enough impact hit a less stable part of the aircraft such as the propeller it could spell disaster for the remainder of the flight. The pilot now has another story under his belt to tell anyone who is interested in flying and has the experience necessary to deal with a similar situation that may ever pop up.