bird strike | FerrariChat

bird strike

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by Statler, Dec 13, 2014.

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  1. Statler

    Statler F1 World Champ

    Jun 7, 2011
    17,389
    So we're at home watching a movie last evening and we feel/hear what is exactly like an earthquake (had a 6.0 in CA). Too much house shaking for a large truck outside. Looked around, couldn't figure it out. Neighbor came out thinking gunfire (but it was much more percussion for me).

    Turns out we felt and heard the Southwest plane having a bird go through an engine. They cross our house just about when putting wheels down. (Still high enough to not interrupt conversations outside).

    It was enough force that we all looked at each other, turned off the movie, and checked the house (tree on roof? etc.), then went outside to find neighbors doing same thing.

    I bet the passengers had a less pleasant experience with that much force.

    Plane landed safely.
     
  2. MarkPDX

    MarkPDX F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Apr 21, 2003
    15,111
    Gulf Coast
    At least they were able to land ok... Hitting big birds, particularly ones big enough to shell out an engine sucks. Flocks (formations?) of things like Canadian geese always make me nervous, particularly at night when you can't see them. That AWACS that crashed maybe 15-20 years ago after hitting a bunch of geese is a good illustration of how badly it can go. I have a few bird strike pics from over the years. One funny occurrence was a bat that hit the windshield in front of the copilot and got wedged in the windshield wiper and stayed there looking at him with dead bat eyes and little bat mouth agape for a few hours.
     
  3. MarkPDX

    MarkPDX F1 World Champ
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    Apr 21, 2003
    15,111
    Gulf Coast
    #3 MarkPDX, Dec 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  4. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    7,911
    Shoreline,Washington
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    Robert Parks
    Your avatar is far worse than any bat-stare. A sloth for a copilot . Great!
     
  5. MarkPDX

    MarkPDX F1 World Champ
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    Apr 21, 2003
    15,111
    Gulf Coast
  6. alexm

    alexm F1 Veteran

    Sep 6, 2004
    5,223
    Coast up from Sydney
    Full Name:
    Alex
    I flew right past an eagle a few days ago while doing circuits and practice landings..

    I'm told our required circuit height of 1000' AGL is also their preferred hunting altitude but are smart enough to not get in the way of light aircraft.. that's nice to know!

    We're slow and small.. so I would imagine it would still represent a substantial thunk and fright.. and who knows what damage..
     
  7. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    Shoreline,Washington
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    If you are flying at 65-100 and you hit an eagle or a goose, you're going to hurt. Bad news if it goes through the windshield. When I was in the Air Force we had a P-47 that ingested a buzzard on take off and he barley got it back to the runway, damage to the cowl, prop, and supercharger duct. The airplane was there for weeks.
     
  8. alexm

    alexm F1 Veteran

    Sep 6, 2004
    5,223
    Coast up from Sydney
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    Alex
    About 100 on downwind leg, our windshield thickness and strength hardly the stuff of legend.

    I ran some numbers in my head using 2 blade prop @3000 rpm see if any chance of lessening harm ala much salami slice possibility "in the event".. I figured result is pretty much a chunk of energy in the form of big bird between the eyes lol..
     
  9. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    I have hit dozens at low altitude and 480-540 knots. Mostly migrating plovers, but also a seagull. They all did damage, taking out slats, etc, except for the seagull. It hit the left engine spike and split into a million pieces before going into the engine. Otherwise we would have lost that engine.

    The entire F-111 community breathed a sigh of relief when we got the bird resistant windscreens.
     
  10. PureEuroM3

    PureEuroM3 F1 Veteran
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    Jan 31, 2006
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    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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    Thomas
  11. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
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    Dallas, Tx.
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    James K. Woods
    Bird Strike Story - I had one in a Cessna 152 back when I was doing basic training. It was a pretty big hawk.

    I saw it before I hit it, but it was so fast that there was no way to react. What I remember was a sort of strobe light effect as it went into vision right in front of the prop.

    It did not hit the prop, but I got it right on the leading edge of the right wing about where the strut attaches - it left a dent about the size of a grapefruit half in the leading edge. Plus detritus. My instructor told me not to worry about it, and nothing was said at the FBO when we got back.

    I still remember that the impact was enough to feel, and that it momentarily kicked the plane sideways.
     
  12. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Feb 27, 2004
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    Jim Pernikoff
    #12 Gatorrari, Dec 14, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  13. solofast

    solofast Formula 3

    Oct 8, 2007
    1,773
    Indianapolis
    Had bird strike late one night flying just below a cloud deck just south of Detroit. I was flying at about 160kts and it sounded like a huge explosion. Hit the wing just inboard of the strut on my 182 RG and left a dent about three inches deep and six inches long.. Scared the crap out of me, and I immediately looked at the gauges, expecting to have the engine stop any minute... But the engine kept running smoothly and landing was uneventful. Fixing the damage took some time and skill.
     
  14. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jim- That looks like a Sandhill Crane, which would make for quite an impact. We could see the flocks on our radars and avoid them and ATC would also call out the flocks to us in NM.
     
  15. rcallahan

    rcallahan F1 Rookie
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    Jul 15, 2002
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    Hey, I almost ran over a mongoose landing in DEL! :)
     
  16. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 20, 2003
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    I dub thee "Almost Snake"
     
  17. solofast

    solofast Formula 3

    Oct 8, 2007
    1,773
    Indianapolis
    What probably made the big bang that the OP heard is the engine surging. Engine surges can be very loud, and modern engines have a pressure ratio of almost 30, so when you get a bird ingestion event, you can get a pretty powerful surge and that can make a heck of a bang.
     

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