Planes Struck More Than 280 Birds Last Year, Airport Officials Say

More than 280 birds were struck by airplanes at Salt Lake City International Airport (KSLC), according to airport officials.

Airport wildlife manager Candace Deavila said that while most of the bird strikes were minor, they caused nearly $700,000 in damage to the aircraft.

The Daily Herald newspaper reports that in one incident a Delta Boeing 757 departing for Paris encountered a flock of birds, and some were nearly pulled into the airplane's engine, according to airport executive director Bill Wyatt. At a recent Airport Advisory Board meeting, Wyatt said that the Delta flight was able to return and land safely at the airport. He said it was fortunate that the bird was not ingested into the engine "because at that elevation and that location, the potential for recovery is not great."

Airport officials are looking into how to comply with a new proposed FAA regulation that would require airports to "do everything possible" to keep all wildlife five miles away from airport boundaries. The current requirement is two miles. The FAA may withhold AIP funding if airports are found to not be in compliance, according to the report.

Wyatt said he intends to submit comments on the NPRM. "They believe airports and cities have not done enough," he said. "I see this as a poke in the eye at this industry for not having done sufficient work."

FMI: Source report