Birds and other wildlife pose severe hazards to pilots during day and night, especially in the terminal area
Migratory activity is generally predictable along recurring flyways, but their appearance on your route of flight will always be unexpected
Proper background and preflight planning can help mitigate the risks of a bird strike
Although steps can be taken, sometimes bird strikes will happen, which warrant a report
Migratory Bird Activity:
Bird activity increases because of migrations during March through April and August through November
The altitudes of migrating birds vary with winds aloft, weather fronts, terrain elevations, cloud conditions, and other environmental variables
While over 90% of the reported bird strikes occur at or below 3,000 feet AGL strikes at higher altitudes are common during migration
Pilots have frequently observed ducks and geese up to 7,000' AGL, requiring caution by pilots to minimize en route flying at lower altitudes during migration
Migratory bird activity is considered the most significant potential hazard to aircraft because of their size, abundance, or habit of flying in dense flocks are gulls, waterfowl, vultures, hawks, owls, egrets, blackbirds, and starlings
Migratory Flyways:
Major Migratory Flyways, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Major Migratory Flyways:
The Atlantic Flyway: parallels the coast
The Mississippi Flyway: stretches from Canada through the Great Lakes and follows the Mississippi River
The Central Flyway: represents a broad area east of the Rockies through central America
The Pacific Flyway: follows the west coast
Other Migratory Flyways:
There are also numerous smaller flyways which cross these major north-south migratory routes
Major Migratory Flyways, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Reducing Bird Strike Risks:
When encountering birds en route, climb to avoid a collision because birds in flocks generally distribute themselves downward, with lead birds being at the highest altitude
Avoid overflight of known areas of bird concentration, but if unavoidable, do not fly at low altitudes
Charted wildlife refuges and other natural areas contain an unusually high local concentration of birds, which may create a hazard to aircraft
The most severe strikes are those involving ingestion into an engine or windshield strikes
Engine ingestion may result in the sudden loss of power or engine failure
Windshield strikes have resulted in confusion, disorientation, loss of communications, and aircraft control problems
Timely reporting allows Air Traffic Control, as well as other pilots in the area, to remain proactive
If a bird or other wildlife strike occurs, then report it using FAA Form 5200-7, Bird/Other Wildlife Strike Report available in the AIM Appendix 1, FSS, FAA offices, or online at https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/wildlife/
Reports inform the development of standards to cope with potential hazards and for documentation of necessary habitat control at airports
Additionally, completed reports are available to pilots for learning from other's experience
Wildlife Activity:
Many airports advise pilots of other wildlife hazards caused by large animals on the runway through the Chart Supplement U.S. and the NOTAM system
If birds or other animals are observed on or near the runway, request airport management to disperse the wildlife before taking off
Also, contact the nearest FAA ARTCC, FSS, or tower (including non-Federal towers) regarding large flocks of birds and report:
Geographic location
Bird type
Approximate numbers
Altitude
The direction of the birds' flight path
Avian Hazard Advisory System:
Airbus A320 Crashes Into Hudson River After Bird Strike
The United States Air Force has developed a Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology as a key tool for analysis and correlation of bird habitat, migration, and breeding characteristics, combined with key environmental and man-made geospatial data
Though not targeted at civilians, the models available can be a useful tool in civilian flight planning, especially in areas expected to be at greater risk
Risk is provided in the form of a condition code on which to base a go or no-go decision
Avian Hazard Condition Codes:
Severe:
Bird activity on or immediately above the active runway or other specific locations representing a high potential for strikes
Supervisors and aircrews must thoroughly evaluate mission needs before conducting operations in areas under condition SEVERE
Moderate:
Bird activity in locations representing the increased potential for strikes
BWC moderate requires increased vigilance by all agencies and supervisors and caution by aircrews
Low:
Bird activity on and around the airfield represents a low potential for strikes
Airbus A320 Crashes Into Hudson River After Bird Strike
Flights Over Charted U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas:
It is prohibited to land an aircraft on lands or waters administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish, and Wildlife Service, or U.S. Forest Service without authorization from the respective agency except for:
When forced to land due to an emergency beyond the control of the operator
At officially designated landing sites
An approved official business of the Federal Government
Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000' above the surface of the following:
National Parks
Monuments
Seashores
Lakeshores
Recreation Areas and Scenic Riverways administered by the National Park Service
National Wildlife Refuges
Big Game Refuges
Game Ranges and Wildlife Ranges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wilderness and Primitive areas administered by the U.S. Forest Service
FAA Advisory Circular AC 91-36, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Flight Near Noise Sensitive Areas, defines the surface of a national park area (including parks, forests, primitive areas, wilderness areas, recreational areas, national seashores, national monuments, national lakeshores, and national wildlife refuge and range areas) as the highest terrain within 2,000' laterally of the route of flight, or the uppermost rim of a canyon or valley
Federal statutes prohibit certain types of flight activity and/or provide altitude restrictions over designated U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas
Designated areas such as Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Areas, Minnesota; Haleakala National Park, Hawaii; Yosemite National Park, California; and Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, are charted on Sectional Charts
Federal regulations also prohibit airdrops by parachute or other means of persons, cargo, or objects from aircraft on lands administered by the three agencies without authorization from the respective agency except when facing:
The ingestion of large birds into each engine resulted in an almost total loss of thrust in both engines and the subsequent ditching on the Hudson River. Contributing to the fuselage damage and resulting unavailability of the aft slide/rafts were (1) the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of ditching certification without determining whether pilots could attain the ditching parameters without engine thrust, (2) the lack of industry flight crew training and guidance on ditching techniques, and (3) the captain's resulting difficulty maintaining his intended airspeed on final approach due to the task saturation resulting from the emergency situation
During the past century, wildlife-aircraft strikes have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives worldwide and billions of dollars in aircraft damage
The FAA maintains a comprehensive program to address wildlife hazards
Through policy and guidance, research, and outreach, we strive to stay ahead of the issue
Any emergency requires prompt action by the pilot; however, be particularly familiar with the engine out procedures when in the vicinity of known bird hazards
Collisions of landing and departing aircraft and animals on the runway are increasing and are not limited to rural airports
These accidents have also occurred at several major airports. Pilots should exercise extreme caution when warned of the presence of wildlife in and in the vicinity of airports
Following a bird strike incident, first and foremost, fly the aircraft and land safely
The ability to fly the aircraft may be challenging enough depending on where the aircraft hit, what systems are effected, and if the pilot themselves have physical injuries
