Can A Bird Strike Bring Down A Plane?

News18

2 days ago

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Though 92% of bird strikes result in no significant damage, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the remaining 8% can be catastrophic
A recent bird strike involving an IndiGo flight has once again brought attention to a persistent threat in aviation, i.e. mid-air collisions between birds and airplanes. Though often overlooked, bird strikes can severely damage planes, especially during takeoff or landing when jet engines are operating at maximum power and aircraft are flying low.
The latest incident occurred on Monday afternoon when a vulture struck an Airbus A320 flying from Patna to Ranchi, forcing an emergency landing at Birsa Munda Airport. While no injuries were reported, the aircraft sustained visible damage and remains under inspection.
Experts warn that even a single bird can cripple an engine, and larger birds like vultures pose an even greater risk. Despite technological advances, the aviation industry continues to struggle with mitigating bird strikes – a hazard responsible for crores in annual losses and hundreds of fatalities over the past decades.
So, how can something as seemingly insignificant as a bird pose such a serious danger to modern aircraft?
Bird strikes aren't just freak accidents; they are a real, recurring threat in global aviation. These incidents mostly occur during takeoff or landing, when aircraft are flying at lower altitudes and birds are more commonly found in flight paths. In the recent IndiGo case, the vulture struck while the aircraft was still climbing.
Though 92% of bird strikes result in no significant damage, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the remaining 8% can be catastrophic, especially when birds are sucked into jet engines. When this happens, the consequences can be dire. The bird may shatter the engine's compressor blades, which are delicate and highly sensitive to sudden impacts. Once one blade breaks, it can send shards throughout the engine, essentially turning it into a chamber of flying shrapnel.
Birds don't just bounce off planes. They can bring them down.
The Bird Strike Committee USA explains the impact in brutal math. If a bird weighing 5 kgs collides with an aircraft flying at 150 miles per hour, the resulting force is equivalent to a 1,000-pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet. And it doesn't take a massive bird to cause problems; even a 2-kilogram bird can warrant a full aircraft inspection.
The danger amplifies when multiple birds are involved. A flock entering both engines can cripple an aircraft. This was precisely what happened in the famous 'Miracle on the Hudson" incident in 2009, when US Airways Flight 1549 lost both engines after a bird strike and crash-landed safely in New York's Hudson River.
Globally, bird strikes result in an estimated loss of $1.2 billion annually (approximately Rs 103 billion), factoring in maintenance, delays, and insurance, according to the Bird Strike Committee USA. The damage isn't limited to engines; aircraft wings, windshields, and fuselages are also at risk. Robin Radar Systems estimates an average of $39,700 is spent on repairs per bird strike.
In raw numbers, 34 bird strikes are reported every day across the world. Since 1988, over 270 aircraft have been destroyed due to bird collisions, and more than 490 people have lost their lives in related crashes up to 2023.
Can Airports Keep the Birds Away?
Airports do make active efforts to keep birds at bay. Many avoid planting trees nearby to reduce nesting opportunities. Some use laser deterrents, bio-acoustics (predator sounds), or even trained falcons. But as urban sprawl creeps closer to runways and climate patterns shift bird habitats, the problem is becoming harder to manage.
At Purdue University in Indiana, an aviation technology professor noted that aircraft engines are, ironically, quite fragile. 'They're precision machines," he said, adding that one large bird, like a stork or vulture, can easily disrupt an entire engine system. The initial blades in a jet engine are relatively small and prone to damage. If even one breaks, it can send a chain reaction through the rest of the engine, he added.
While the recent IndiGo incident ended without tragedy, it reignited concerns about a long-standing aviation hazard. The incident occurred at around 1:14 PM on Monday, June 2, shortly after the flight had taken off from Patna and was scheduled to continue to Kolkata after a brief stop in Ranchi. The IndiGo plane was flying at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet when it collided with a vulture. All passengers and crew on board were reported to be safe, but the Airbus A320 sustained visible damage.
Airport Director RR Maurya confirmed that the bird strike left a visible dent in the aircraft. 'Engineers are currently assessing the extent of the damage," he said.
First Published:
June 05, 2025, 13:18 IST
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