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Naval Safety Center Strives to Prevent Bird Strikes

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090116-23
Release Date: 1/16/2009 3:14:00 PM

By By April Phillips, Naval Safety Center Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- When US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River January 15, people learned about the dangers of bird strikes to jet engines for the first time. The Navy has long been aware of this danger in aviation. Bird and other hazards have cost money and lives.

However, the Navy's Bird-Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) program is helping to create the awareness needed to reduce these mishaps and save lives and assets.
The Naval Safety Center (NSC) has recorded mishap information regarding wildlife strike events with naval aircraft since 1979 and BASH programs are inspected as part of NSC's safety surveys throughout the fleet.

The BASH program is currently conducted at the installation level. Kimball Thompson, a retired naval aviator who works in the Aviation Directorate at NSC, said the Safety Center is working to help institute a Navy-wide BASH mitigation program across the fleet.

When it comes to BASH mishaps, bird strikes are most common, but, said Thompson said BASH includes a surprising array of animals.

"It's broader than just birds. It's anything that could cause harm to a naval aircraft. In the runway environment we've seen deer strikes. In places like Key West there's a salt water crocodile population and occasionally they'll wander up to the runways to sun themselves," he said.

In fact, deer, fox, bats, moose, coyotes and more have been reported as BASH hazards. Reporting animal activity and identifying remains is key to reducing strikes. The Navy has a contract with the Smithsonian Institute for biological remains analysis.

"It's important to know what kind of animal struck and aircraft because it becomes part of the mitigation effort," Thompson explained. "For example, with birds we can determine whether it's a migratory bird or part of the resident population."

If the bird is migratory, Thompson said researchers will study its habits and patterns. That way, aviators can avoid the location, altitude or time of day when the birds are active. If the birds are non-migratory, the researchers study the airfield environment and look to see what is attracting the birds. In many cases, they can take the attraction away and encourage the birds to feed or nest elsewhere.

"The Navy walks a fine line between ensuring the safety of air crews and aircraft while being good environmental stewards of the places where our installations are located," Thompson said.

Reporting animal activity, strikes and near-misses is an all hands responsibility, and the information gained from these reports will go a long way toward making necessary changes that reduce the threat of aircraft strikes with animals – making aviation safer for pilots and air crews, as well as the bird population.

For more news from Naval Safety Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/nsc/.