Growing Danger Of Birds Hitting Planes

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 26

Growing Danger Of Birds Hitting Planes

The sudden apparent increase in bird strikes on aircraft had been caused by the speeds of modem planes and by birds being drawn into their turbine air compressors, says the latest issue of "ALPA” the official journal of the New Zealand Airline Pilots’ Association.

In the past, said the journal. birds had ample time to

take avoiding action. Incidents involving birds hitting aircraft were:—

Early this year a T.E.A.L. Electra at Whenuapai; takeoff abandoned with engine damage.

N.A.C. Viscount, September 6. this year, during take-off from Christchurch: dead seagulls on runway, but no damage.

June 11. this year, S.P.A.N.Z. DC3 on take-off from Nelson; a flock of seagulls passed within 30ft of the nose of the aircraft. Immediately after take-off from Christchurch and later from Wellington on July 28 this year, seagulls only just avoided a S.PA.N.Z. DC3. The article said that the risk of aircraft striking birds was greatest during take-off and climb and to a lesser degree on landing. The majority of strikes occurred below 500 ft.

From past experience, it was dear that the major hazard was from seagulls, because of their low swerving flight on take-off and because of their numbers.

“Apart from destroying them (which is illegal in New Zealand) what can be done?” asked the article. “Suggested self-protection ranges from special glasses to tin hats and nothing but the whites of your eyes above the coaming.” Experience showed that in a DC3 with the windshield gone, pilots should open th© side window to shut off part of the direct airflow from the exposed person. The article gave this description of a bird-strike on an aircraft in the United States in I 960: "A DC3 climbing through 6500 feet over Muskegon, Michigan, x in October; the captain returning from the

forward companionway where he had been adjusting the heat controls; the first officer leans over to check or adjust an instrument on the lower part of the panel. . . . “A split second later the plane struck a flight of approxanately 11 snow geese. The entire right windshield was sujaatoed from the frame leaving only the marginal fragments of glass and plastic. Pieces of birds and glass churned through the cockpit at a terrific rate. The captain received a deep cut over his right eye. The first officer’s protective glasses were covered with blood and pieces of glass were so embedded in the lenses that he was unable to see. “In spite of the injury, the captain got back to the controls immediately. One chunk of glass struck the aluminium bulkhead behind the captain's seat with such force that it sliced through. If he had been in his seat at the moment of impart, he would have been severely if not fatally injured by the broken windshield fragment. “Much of the glass did pulverise; however, there were a number of chunks up to eight inches in diameter.”