The Bird V. Airplane War Claims Three More Of Our Feathered Friends

A Southwest Boeing 737 encountered three "good-sized" birds on a recent flight from MCO to SMF. Thankfully; the Boeing won in the latest of an extensive series of bird strikes we've noted, of late. Mind you; these things need to taken VERY seriously. Birds have severely damaged and even brought down countless airplanes over the years and efforts to deal with the problem have yet to reveal a comprehensive solution.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Air Force databases contain information on more than 54,000 United States civilian and military aircraft-wildlife strikes reported to them between 1990 and 1999. During that decade, the FAA received reports indicating that aircraft wildlife strikes, damaged 4,500 civilian U.S. aircraft (1,500 substantially), destroyed 19 aircraft, injured 91 people, and killed 6 people. Additionally, there were 216 incidents where birds struck two or more engines on civilian aircraft, with damage occurring to 26 percent of the 449 engines involved in these incidents.

The FAA estimates that during the same decade, civilian US aircraft sustained $4 billion worth of damages and associated losses and 4.7 million hours of aircraft downtime due to aircraft-wildlife strikes.

So; beware your fine feathered friend....

** Report created 11/26/2003 Record 1 **
IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 789SW Make/Model: B737 Description: 737-700, BBJ, C-40
 Date: 11/24/2003 Time: 0200
 Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
 Damage: Minor
LOCATION
 City: KANSAS CITY State: MO Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AT APPROXIMATELY 8000 MSL 10 MI NW OF KANSAS CITY, MO (MCI), SWA557 STRUCK THREE MIGRATORY WATERFOWL. AT LEAST ONE OF THE WATERFOWL STRUCK AND DAMAGED THE #1 ENGINE. THE ACFT RETURNED TO MCI AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. KANSAS, MO

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
 # Crew: 3 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: KMCI 240153Z 30014KT 10SM BKN027 OVC033 M04/M08 A3003

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Business Phase: Cruise Operation: Air Carrier
 Departed: KANSAS CITY, MO MCI Dep Date: 11/24/2003 Dep. Time: 0155
 Destination: SACRAMENTO, CA SMF Flt Plan: IFR Wx Briefing:
 Last Radio Cont:  Last Clearance: CLIMG AND MAINTAIN 15000
 FAA FSDO: KANSAS CITY, MO (CE05) Entry date: 11/24/2003

FMI: www.faa.gov, http://wildlife-mitigation.tc.faa.gov/public_html/moa.pdf