Online Database, Other Changes Since US Airways Flight 1549 Incident Last January

Following the US Airways Flight 1549 bird strike and emergency landing in the Hudson River a year ago Friday, public interest in the FAA’s wildlife mitigation efforts significantly increased. However, the agency’s Office of Airports has overseen a wildlife management program for nearly 50 years and has conducted wide-ranging research to find the best ways to keep airports safe by making them less attractive to all types of wildlife. The FAA says it remains committed to its long-standing goal of reducing wildlife hazards at or near our nation’s airports. To reach that goal, the FAA regularly partners with academia, military, other government agencies, and the aviation industry to conduct research and outreach in this area. The FAA manages airport wildlife hazards through a number of avenues including regulation, agency guidance, advisory circulars and ongoing education.

FAA Photo

On April 24 of last year, the FAA made the bird strike database available to the public with a small amount of data containing privacy information such as personal phone numbers deleted. Prior to this, only portions of the database were publicly available. The FAA began collecting data in the 1990s for use by the FAA’s Office of Airports, academia, and researchers as a means to improve airport safety and reduce wildlife hazards.

According to the database, there have been over 100,000 (Civil and USAF) wildlife strikes between 1990 and 2008. 92% of the bird strikes occur at or below 3,000 ft AGL (above ground level), and 72% of bird-remains have not be identified to species level. Even the space shuttle is not immune. It was determined that Space Shuttle Discovery hit a turkey vulture during the take off of STS-114 on July 26, 2005.

FAA Photo

The re-designed website allows users to search the database for wildlife strike incidents, as well as electronically file and edit strike reports. The database is searchable by state, airport, or airline involved.

In a report released in December, SRA International, Inc., a leading provider of information technology service, and Richard Dolbeer, Ph.D., a world renowned wildlife hazard mitigation expert, estimated that the total number of strikes reported has increased from 20 percent during the period from 1990-1994 to 39 percent from 2004-2008. The majority of strike reports are filed at Part 139 airports, and approximately six percent at general aviation airports. Although there is a higher level of reporting, the number of damaging strikes has not increased mainly because many certificated airports have successfully put in place professionally-run wildlife hazard programs. Dolbeer determined the current level of reporting (39 percent) is statistically valid and is sufficient for the FAA to develop national trends and mitigation policies. Based on those findings, Dolbeer concluded that mandatory reporting is not required.

Alligator On Orlando Intl. Runway FAA Photo

The FAA has a number of ongoing programs dedicated to wildlife near airports. The commercial avian radar systems currently being assessed by the FAA are designed to detect birds flying on and in the vicinity of an airport and to provide information about the bird targets in terms of position and direction of movement. The target information may be in the form of text or visual display such as a map. The information can be used to mitigate the risks associated with the bird activity and aircraft safety.

FMI: http://wildlife.faa.gov/