Cites Data From FAA Database Showing 62 Percent Increase

Aero-News reported last months on findings by the Associated Press, that the FAA applied on March 24 for permission to lock down its database of bird strike reports. The agency expressed the concern release of the data would cast a negative light on the images of certain airports, and the airline industry in general.

Now, USA Today has apparently found a copy that got out before the January 15 ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 made the issue a hot topic. The paper reports FAA data shows collisions between airliners and large birds have risen dramatically since the agency started keeping track in 1990.

Strikes by birds large enough to cripple an airliner averaged 323 per year through the 1990s. Between 2000 and 2007, the average was 524. That's a 62 percent increase.

"In most cases it's going to be these large birds that are going to cause a catastrophe or a significant strike event," said Richard Dolbeer, the retired Department of Agriculture wildlife biologist who created the FAA strike database.

Alas, any data is of limited use in reaching statistically valid conclusions, because -- despite pressure from the National Transportation Safety Board -- reporting strikes is not mandatory. The FAA estimates only 20 percent of strikes are reported.

Furthermore, only a relatively small percentage of even reported strikes are severe. "Significant strikes are still a very small part of the total bird strike numbers," said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown.

FMI: www.faa.gov