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How Birds Can Down a Jet Airplane
By Robin Lloyd, LiveScience Senior Editor
Early reports suggest that a bird strike caused a jet plane
to crash in the Hudson River near Manhattan today,
leaving questions about how a little flying animal could
down a big airliner.
More than 200 people have been killed worldwide as a
result of wildlife strikes with aircraft since 1988, according
to Bird Strike Committee USA, and more than 5,000 bird
strikes were reported by the U.S. Air Force in 2007. Bird
strikes, or the collision of an aircraft with an airborne bird,
tend to happen when aircraft are close to the ground,
which means just before landing or after take-off, when
jet engines are turning at top speeds.
The incidents are serious particularly when the birds,
usually gulls, raptors and geese, are sucked into a jet
engine and strike an engine fan blade. That impact
displaces the blade such that it strikes another blade and
a cascade can occur, resulting in engine failure.
A 12-pound Canada goose striking an aircraft going 150
mph at lift-off generates the force of a 1,000-pound
weight dropped from a height of 10 feet, according to
Bird Strike Committee USA.
Today's incident, which occurred just after US Airways
flight 1549 (an Airbus 320) had taken off with more than
150 passengers and crew members from LaGuardia
Airport in New York, en route to Charlotte, N.C., involved
a flock of geese, according to CBS News. Reports
indicate no deaths or serious injuries as of this writing.
Large aircraft are certified to be able to keep flying after
impacting a 4-pound bird, however 36 species of birds in
North America weigh more than this, according to the
committee. Even smaller birds, such as starlings (which
the committee's Web site refers to as "feathered bullets"
due to their density), can cause engine failure.
The greater the difference in the speed of the plane and
the bird, the greater the force of the impact on the
aircraft. The weight of the bird is also a factor, but the
speed difference is a much bigger factor.
Flocks of birds are even more dangerous as they can
result in multiple strikes.
Delicate birds, delicate aircraft
Dale Oderman, associate professor of aviation
technology at Purdue University in Indiana says birds can
be very dangerous to aircraft, particularly in the first
several thousand feet after take-off, where the birds are
flying.
"Obviously, geese or another large bird would be much
more hazardous than a little black bird," Oderman said.
"The speed at which the two are moving causes the bird
to get ingested into the engine. And the engine is very
delicate to withstanding a major impact."
He added: "It just shuts the engine down."
Basically, if the birds get too close to the engine's intake,
it's like a vacuum — the birds just get sucked in.
"The initial stages of a jet engine are made up of a lot of
compressor blades. Those aren't very big and they can
be very easily damaged," Oderman told LiveScience.
"Even if one of those things breaks off, then the one
blade will go through the rest of the engine and it's like
shrapnel to the engine."
And in the case of the Hudson River crash, the birds
apparently took out both engines.
"Apparently in this particular case it seems both engines
were hit. If it was a flock of birds they flew thought it
wouldn't be a surprise to me," Oderman said.
Tourism Nigeria
Yankari National Park
Yankari National Park has become the most
developed Wildlife park in Nigeria with a lot
of attractions for visitors.
The park is famous for its variety of animals
available for viewing round the year, though
the animals are better watched between
November and May period of the dry season
when the animals converge around the Gaji
River, Baboons, Waterbucks, Elephants,
Crocodiles, Bushbucks, Duikers, Warthogs,
Hippopotamus are among the anirnals
commonly seen at the park.
Wikki Warm Springs is a famous attraction
in the Yankari National Park. It is particularly
prized for its warm water. It is available both
night and day for tourists who cherish
swimming.
The National Park is located in the
South-Eastern area of Bauchi, the capital
town of Bauchi State in the North-Eastern
part of Nigeria.
Yankari National Park
Yankari National Park has become the most
developed Wildlife park in Nigeria with a lot
of attractions for visitors.
The park is famous for its variety of animals
available for viewing round the year, though
the animals are better watched between
November and May period of the dry season
when the animals converge around the Gaji
River, Baboons, Waterbucks, Elephants,
Crocodiles, Bushbucks, Duikers, Warthogs,
Hippopotamus are among the anirnals
commonly seen at the park.
Wikki Warm Springs is a famous attraction
in the Yankari National Park. It is particularly
prized for its warm water. It is available both
night and day for tourists who cherish
swimming.
The National Park is located in the
South-Eastern area of Bauchi, the capital
town of Bauchi State in the North-Eastern
part of Nigeria.
Kenya's Wildlife Mammals,
Birds & Reptiles
For many, the name “Kenya” has always
been synonymous with wildlife.
We are the home of Africa’s famous “Big
Five” (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard and
Buffalo) and it is true that this is the best
place in the entire continent to see these
Five magnificent species in their natural
environment.
But Kenya has even more to offer. We have
an incredible range of wild habitats, each
one with its own unique range of species.
Open savannah, deep
forest, soda and freshwater lakes, alpine
meadows, coral reefs, caves, beaches, river
deltas and even more.
A safari in Kenya means more than just
seeing animals. This is a chance for you to
immerse yourself in a wild world where the
fascinating natural behaviour and
interaction between species will keep you
enthralled.
Click here to see some of the most common
species of wildlife.
Kenya’s wildlife is as diverse and varied as
your safari options and the role of Kenya
Wildlife Service (KWS) is equally diverse.
This organization is charged with the
protection and conservation of the country's
biodiversity, both inside and outside our 48
Nati onal Parks and Reserves, including
Marine Parks.
This means the conservation and
management of Kenya's wildlife
scientifically, responsively and
professionally. We do this with integrity,
recognizing and encouraging staff
creativity, and continuous learning and
teamwork in partnership with communities
and stakeholders.
By Kenyan Ministry of Tourism
Airports, Oderman said, take several precautions to keep
planes safe from birds. For instance, they often don't plant
many trees nearby, as these are nesting areas for birds.
Since La Guardia is right on the water, he noted, there are a
lot of water birds around.
Bird strike remains
Bird strikes are on the rise, according to the committee. After
a bird strike in the United States, the remains, called snarge,
are sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather
Identification Laboratory to identify the species, according to
Wikipedia.
Bird and other wildlife strikes to aircraft result in more than
$600 million in damage a year, according to Bird Strike
Committee USA. Five jet airliners have had major accidents
involving bird strikes since 1975, the committee says. In one
case, about three dozen people died.
NASA worries about bird strikes, too.
During the July 2005 launch of Discovery on mission STS-
114, a vulture soaring around the launch pad impacted the
shuttle's external tank just after liftoff. With a vulture's
average weight ranging from 3 to 5 pounds, a strike at a
critical point on the shuttle — like the nose or wing leading
thermal protection panels — could cause catastrophic
damage to the vehicle.
NASA put safety measures into place in 2005 to reduce the
odds of bird strikes with the shuttle. The agency particularly
wants to avoid bird strikes to the shuttle's fuel tank that could
damage the heat shield during launch and landing.
For instance, NASA has a special during launch countdown
where they can stop to wait for birds to pass. And during
landing, NASA has a sound cannon that they fire to make
sure the runway is clear from birds to make sure shuttle isn't
damaged during landing.
Senior Writer Jeanna Bryner contributed to this story.
Culled From Aviation.com
planes safe from birds. For instance, they often don't plant
many trees nearby, as these are nesting areas for birds.
Since La Guardia is right on the water, he noted, there are a
lot of water birds around.
Bird strike remains
Bird strikes are on the rise, according to the committee. After
a bird strike in the United States, the remains, called snarge,
are sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather
Identification Laboratory to identify the species, according to
Wikipedia.
Bird and other wildlife strikes to aircraft result in more than
$600 million in damage a year, according to Bird Strike
Committee USA. Five jet airliners have had major accidents
involving bird strikes since 1975, the committee says. In one
case, about three dozen people died.
NASA worries about bird strikes, too.
During the July 2005 launch of Discovery on mission STS-
114, a vulture soaring around the launch pad impacted the
shuttle's external tank just after liftoff. With a vulture's
average weight ranging from 3 to 5 pounds, a strike at a
critical point on the shuttle — like the nose or wing leading
thermal protection panels — could cause catastrophic
damage to the vehicle.
NASA put safety measures into place in 2005 to reduce the
odds of bird strikes with the shuttle. The agency particularly
wants to avoid bird strikes to the shuttle's fuel tank that could
damage the heat shield during launch and landing.
For instance, NASA has a special during launch countdown
where they can stop to wait for birds to pass. And during
landing, NASA has a sound cannon that they fire to make
sure the runway is clear from birds to make sure shuttle isn't
damaged during landing.
Senior Writer Jeanna Bryner contributed to this story.
Culled From Aviation.com
