Safety Quiz
Bird Hazard Photos
Click on images for a larger view.
ASF
editorial consultant Bruce Williams,
flying an Extra 300L, collided
with a bird near the Stockton,
California airport on May 1, 2005. "Birds
usually dive and get out of the
way, but this one was confused,
and it didn't maneuver in time," said
Williams. The impact knocked off
paint and made an 8-inch crinkled
circle in the composite skin.
Although
we always use cowl plugs, a spring
morning preflight of the Air Safety
Foundation's Archer revealed a
suspicious piece of straw protruding
from the lower cowl vent.
The
ramp also showed signs of bird
activity.
Pulling
the top cowl revealed a substantial
bird nest, but only by dropping
the bottom cowl were we able to
see the full extent of the avian
construction project.
This
nest was obviously a fire hazard
but nests in any part of your
airplane can spell trouble. Nesting
material can compromise control
function and bird droppings are
corrosive. The birds gained access
to the engine compartment from
the rear and built this nest in
less than a day.
One of our members' L39 jet collided with a large bird on April 28, 2001. The bird, whose identification is pending, sustained fatal injuries.
The L39 was also damaged, but the pilot was able to land without further incident.
A
student and CFI experienced a
bird strike while flying in the
vicinity of an airport in Florida.
The turkey buzzard destroyed half
of the horizontal stabilizer,
as shown in the photos above.
The
flight ended successfully at the
nearby airport and the student
and CFI were uninjured.
Updated Tuesday, May 03, 2005 3:23:50 PM
