Bird Strike

[brin]

I am a pilot and have had my fair share of run it with birds but most have been small, beer can size or so. Going at speeds up to 525 mph in level cruise flight though things happen quick.

Probably my three scariest run ins have been taking a bunch through the right #2 engine on takeoff out of Bradford, PA at my current job. No damage and motor keep running but my heart was racing waiting for it to puke. I also took 2 in the captains windshield at night in the weather going into Waterloo, IA back in the late 90's when I was flying for FedEx. Another time was at my current job on takeoff out of my home airport here in Muncie IN. Had a flock of maybe 50 larger birds fly right up infront of me on takeoff. I aborted and just got it stopped on the remaining runway. Later that day just up the road from us a Falcon 20 dumped in the field about 1/2 mile of the departure end of the runway after ingesting multiple birds in both motors.

It can be scary. Glad you are ok. The truck can be fixed.

Chris

Diamond Pilot.....

I was flying on our corporate jet...I believe it was a Cessna - jet commander..it was the twin engine High Wing Jet...and we were coming in on final to land at a darkened rural uncontrolled air strip....about 8 souls on board + the captain and co-pilot...I moved up to the seat right behind the cockpit door , which was open, and leaned in on final approach as I often did..and I was talking to our pilot ...we were about 1/2 mile out on final when the birds struck both jet engines...all went silent ...I was told to sit back which I did and we coasted in and landed....good thing we had a long runway and really good Pilot in command...very scary....those birds shut both engines down.

 

[Deere Dude]

May have been an owl considering it was still dark outside. I've had several hit my truck in 11 years of trucking, but no broken winshield yet(touches wood).

I've had a lot of hawks hit my truck lately also.

Coming home at night with a big Ford pick-up and something flew up toward the windshield. I though it was going to crash through but he flew up and missed the windsheild, but he didn't see the big truck rack above the truck. All I heard was a big thud. I went back and it was a huge creamed owl. :laughing:

 

[CurlyDave]

...06:00 and cruising north on I-5 near Willows , CA. , about halfway between Sacramento and Redding Saturday morning . Foggy , maybe 1/8 mile visibility ,

Fred H.

I was driving the same area in a class C motorhome (the ones with a bed over the cab and windshield), when a pigeon came over the hood and crashed into the little valley between the windshield and the overhead bed.

Air pressure kept it stuck there for about 10 minutes, and I thought I might have to stop to pull it out...

 

[BigBoyinMS]

I've been lucky to have only one bird hit in my life and it was a strange one that left me saying "what tha...?" I was 17 or 18 driving a 58 Chevy Biscayne at about 60 mph. (Since 55 was the speed limit at the time.) I notice a bird about 100 ft up in a dive toward me and he never pulled up. Turned out it was a Kamikaze Mockingbird. He ended up hitting my windshield between dead center and the rearview mirror. That old car had thick glass because he bounced off leaving nothing but some sticky feathers stuck to the glass.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Well Fred H there's your problem your truck was too tall. That bird was cleared for FL (flight level) of 6'.. You are going to have the Audobon folks after you now. :laughing:

 

[jonyyuma]

Well Fred H there's your problem your truck was too tall. That bird was cleared for FL (flight level) of 6'.. You are going to have the Audobon folks after you now. :laughing:

Oh, No, the safety police again???

 

[ray66v]

Yeah, that's another thing, why do so many birds think they have to cruise between 2'-6' AGL??

From 15' to 500' AGL is very infrequently used airspace by humans. You would think more of these birds would develop the survival instincts to figure that out?

 

[Artisan]

2' - 6' AGL and they save fuel taking advantage of ground effect Less FPH

(FlapsPerHour)

 

[IslandTractor]

Flying piston singles, birds are not what I am most concerned about.

It's touching down and night, and right when you get too slow to get back off the ground quickly, out of nowhere, appears a deer, coyote, or an occasional what the {expletive deleted} is that, (sasquatch?), standing right in front of you.

I keep wishing they put had thought to put air horns on these airplanes. :thumbsup: :laughing:

When I was working in Indonesia, a 737 collided on landing with a water buffalo. Neither party did well. The buffalo was killed on impact and the 737 front landing gear collapsed. Closed the airport for a day or so as they didn't have heavy equipment to clean things up. No humans hurt.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Diamond Pilot.....

I was flying on our corporate jet...I believe it was a Cessna - jet commander..it was the twin engine High Wing Jet...and we were coming in on final to land at a darkened rural uncontrolled air strip....about 8 souls on board + the captain and co-pilot...I moved up to the seat right behind the cockpit door , which was open, and leaned in on final approach as I often did..and I was talking to our pilot ...we were about 1/2 mile out on final when the birds struck both jet engines...all went silent ...I was told to sit back which I did and we coasted in and landed....good thing we had a long runway and really good Pilot in command...very scary....those birds shut both engines down.

It was not a Cessna, it was a Rockwell Jet Commander, or better know as a "Jet Commode". They were a very early jet and not that good. The motors on them did not last very well to start with so a birds would have easily taken out the engines.

Chris