Bird Strike Information, Facts

A US Airways jetliner crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday after a flock of birds apparently disabled both of its engines. This type of incident is known as a bird strike. A bird strike is a collision between an airborne animal and a man-made vehicle, typically an aircraft.

The Bird Strike Committee USA reports on its Web site that more than 195 people have been killed as a result of bird strikes since 1988.

Bird and other wildlife strikes to aircraft annually cause over $600 million in damage to U.S. civil and military aviation.

More than 56,000 bird strikes to civil aircraft in the United States were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration from 1990-2004.

In North America, bird strike hazards are increasing. Because of outstanding wildlife conservation and environmental programs in North America, populations of many bird species have increased dramatically since the 1970s.

In September of 2003, a Fokker 100 struck a flock of at least 5 Canadian geese over runway shortly after takeoff at LaGuardia Airport. The flight was diverted to nearby JFK International Airport where a landing was made.

Other bird strike facts:

Since 1975, five large jet airliners have had major accidents where bird strikes played a significant role. In one case, about three dozen people were killed.

More than 4,300 bird strikes were reported by the U.S. Air Force in 2004.

An estimated 80 percent of bird strikes to U.S. civil aircraft go unreported.

The Bird Strike Committee USA is a volunteer organization directed by a 9- to 12-person steering committee consisting of 2-3 members each from the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and aviation industry.