The plane crash at Jeonnam Muan International Airport in South Korea has brought renewed attention to the dangers posed by bird strikes in aviation. On Sunday, a Jeju Air passenger plane arriving from Bangkok is presumed to have crashed into airport facilities during landing due to abnormalities caused by a bird strike, according to Segye. The aircraft reportedly struck the airport's perimeter wall during its approach, leading to damage but fortunately no casualties.
This event is part of a growing concern among aviation authorities and pilots worldwide. Bird strikes have become increasingly frequent due to rising air traffic and environmental factors, prompting airport authorities and the aviation industry to remain vigilant, especially during migratory seasons.
In South Korea alone, there have been 650 bird strike incidents involving aircraft operating at 14 airports over the past five years, according to Chosun Ilbo. The frequency of these incidents has shown a steady upward trend, with 108 cases reported in 2019 and increasing to 152 in 2022. Climate change, development projects around airports, and the recovery of passenger traffic after the COVID-19 pandemic are cited as contributing factors to this rise.
The recent increase in bird strikes is analyzed to be mainly due to climate change causing migratory birds to settle in one place, making migratory routes and altitudes difficult to predict, according to Segye. Development of bird habitats around airports has caused displaced birds to enter green spaces within airport areas, further contributing to bird strikes.
Most bird strikes occur during takeoff or landing, particularly concentrated at altitudes between 0 and 15 meters, especially during migration times in spring and autumn. These incidents usually happen in the early morning or at sunset when birds are most active, notes Helsingin Sanomat.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), only 15% of bird strikes have actually damaged the aircraft, reports Milenio.
The risk of serious damage increases with the size of the birds or their quantity, especially during migratory periods. Large-sized birds and those that fly in flocks pose a greater threat to aviation safety, as Blick reports. More severe consequences can happen when one or more birds fly into an engine.
To mitigate these risks, airports implement methods to scare away birds, including broadcasting distress calls and using trained birds of prey. According to BFMTV, some airports employ trained falcons for wildlife prevention and control tasks. Acoustic frightening techniques, including sonic dispersers that emit sounds birds dislike, and short-range and long-range rocket launches are also used to deter birds.
Stress tests on engines are conducted by throwing dead chickens at them. This method simulates the impact of bird strikes to test the resilience of aircraft engines.
Despite these efforts, bird strikes continue to pose challenges. In the United States alone, over 160,000 bird strike incidents occurred from 1990 to 2015, and between 1990 and 2023, 291,600 collisions between wildlife and civil aircraft were reported.
One of the most notable incidents involving a bird strike occurred in January 2009. The captain of US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 with 155 passengers, managed to land on the Hudson River in New York after colliding with a flock of Canada geese, leading to the simultaneous failure of both engines. The event, known as the "Miracle on the Hudson," resulted in no casualties and was later made into a movie starring Tom Hanks.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) estimates that the global aviation market spends over $1.2 billion annually on bird strike response. Bird strikes cause damages to aircraft each year, as reported by the Australian government's wildlife risk group under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.