Airport Wildlife Mitigation

Close Call at O'Hare Shows Need For Fix

By Joseph Ryan, Chicago Daily Herald Staff

Sept 5, 2007

Normally, a bird strike on a jetliner is a traumatic but not catastrophic occurrence at O'Hare International Airport.

But on July 19, one of those common incidents set off a chain reaction that brought two commercial jets to within seconds and 70 feet of colliding. About 10:22 a.m. that day, a regional jet powered off the runway and hit birds as it climbed into the air. A Boeing 737-300 waiting in line behind the jet asked crews to check the runway for any resulting debris that could choke its engines or affect its wheels.

The 737 was then told to leave the runway and head to a taxiway called S-4. Instead, the pilot moved the plane to a nearby taxiway called Quebec -- right in the path of another Boeing 737-300 in the process of landing. Controllers in the tower quickly issued an emergency order to the incoming plane to abort its landing, and the jet pulled out of its descent, sheering just 70 feet above the waiting Boeing 737-300.

The nail-biting close call will go down in the books among some of the worst in O'Hare's history. Last year, a large jet came within 35 feet of hitting another in a somewhat similar incident.

Close calls like these are not immediately reported to the public and often are available only when the Federal Aviation Administration is questioned about them.

The lone "high risk" near collision this year tarnishes a so-far better safety record at O'Hare than last year's three high-level near collisions.

But it also underscores how difficult it is to account for and prevent all the various human and mechanical errors that can lead to catastrophes.

The July 19 near collision ultimately was blamed on the pilot who changed runways, who was not named in the report. The FAA refused to release the names of the airlines involved.

National Transportation Safety Board and FAA officials have made preventing near accidents on airport runways one of their top priorities for more than decade. Still, the needed technology appears to be lacking to patch all the perceived holes in the aviation industry's safety net.

For example, after several years of numerous runway close calls on O'Hare's crisscrossing landing strips, the FAA installed a new multi-million dollar ground radar system this month to provide better warnings of such incidents to air traffic controllers.

Still, Joseph Bellino, head of the air traffic controllers union at O'Hare, said that system wouldn't have helped in this latest situation.

The new system detects near collisions on runways. The 737-300 in the path of the landing jet was actually on a taxiway in front of the runway. Meanwhile, the FAA is overseeing tests of a new system that sends audio warnings of pending collisions straight into the cockpit. That product is years away, even if it wins the agency's final approval.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said reducing near collisions on runways will take multiple approaches and an ongoing effort.

"Runway incursions occur for a variety of reasons," she said. "This is something we take very, very seriously."

Airport Layovers: Look For The Wildlife Refuge

The Boston Globe

Sept 2, 2007

Oh, those dreaded layovers. You have a few hours or longer between flights and find yourself wondering how much longer you can watch the repeating news reports or stare at T-shirts in the souvenir shop.

It so happens that at many airports, you don't have to do either, because close by is a world of wonder: a national wildlife refuge.

For information on all national refuges, see www.fws .gov. Here are some refuges near big airports:

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is just a mile from Philadelphia International Airport.

More than 280 species of birds can be found there, as can fox, deer, muskrat, turtles, fish and frogs, along with wildflowers.

Contact: 215-365-3118; heinz.fws.gov. Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Md., is 30 minutes from Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

A large visitor center offers exhibits and views of a lake that is often full of waterfowl.

Contact: 301-497-5763; patuxent.fws.gov.

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a floodplain where bald eagles nest, herons and egrets wade, and mallards swim, is two miles from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

You can take a half-mile loop trail or hike up to 12 miles along a trail through floodplain forests, native prairies and large lake marshes.

Contact: 952-854-5900; www.fws.gov/midwest/Minne sotaValley. San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a short taxi and then trolley ride from San Diego International Airport.

The refuge's Sweetwater Marsh is where endangered light-footed clapper rail and California least tern raise their young. In all, Sweetwater is a habitat for more than 200 species of birds. Contact: 619-409-5900; www.fws.gov/sandiegorefuges/Sweetwater.htm.

Birds a Threat to Jets

The Record (Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo)

August 24, 2007

Passenger jets have been experiencing a spate of aircraft striking birds at Waterloo Region's airport, a worldwide problem that has crashed planes and caused billions of dollars in damages.

Transport Canada has recorded at least 10 incidents of the so-called "bird strikes" while landing or taking off from Waterloo Region International Airport since late June. Half of the incidents involved Boeing 737s operated by WestJet, which launched flights to Calgary in May.

None of the strikes caused significant damage, but on July 3 a bird hit a landing-gear door of a WestJet plane that landed in Breslau, according to a Transport Canada report.

Wildlife is increasingly becoming a problem for aviation across North America. [or it coud be that it is now being reported and tracked more efficiently]

In Canada, annual reports of bird strikes have nearly doubled since 1999 -- to 1,414 from 724. Last year, Transport Canada recorded 16 incidents of planes and birds colliding at the Waterloo Region airport -- the highest number in recent years.

In most cases, planes collide with birds causing little or no damage to the aircraft or injury to their passengers. But bird strikes have also brought down aircraft, including a military jet that crashed in Alaska in 1995, killing 24 on board, including two Canadians.

The damage caused to aircraft by bird strikes reaches $1.2 billion a year globally, and at least $12 million a year in Canada, said Bruce MacKinnon, Wildlife Control Specialist at Transport Canada and chair of Canada's Bird Strike Committee.

"Some airlines are very forthcoming in telling us how much it cost them to deal with wildlife damage," he said.

"It's quite staggering. It makes the $1.2 billion per year internationally very conservative."

The problem has become such a focus of the airline industry that experts from around the world will convene in Kingston next month for a conference on the topic.

While birds haven't brought down a major commercial airliner in North America, there have been close calls.

Last month in Rome, a Delta airliner bound for the U.S. had to make an emergency landing after flying through a flock of gulls on takeoff, damaging both engines.

In March, a United Airlines Boeing 767 with 200 passengers struck at least 15 ducks while taking off from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The birds damaged both engines, setting one on fire.

Closer to home, a Snowbird Tudor jet made an emergency landing at the Waterloo Region airport in 2004 after a bird smashed a "grapefruit-sized hole" in the canopy -- the transparent cockpit cover, according to a Transport Canada incident report.

Also in 2004, two military pilots ejected from their British Aerospace Hawk training jet at CFB Moose Jaw when they couldn't restart their engine after it had struck a bird. The pilots survived with minor injuries but the plane crashed and burned.

In 2005, a flying instructor was rushed to hospital after a goose shattered the windshield of his Cessna Skyhawk and struck him in the face during a training flight near Orillia.

It's only a matter of time before birds cause the crash of a major commercial airline in North America, said Paul Eschenfelder, a Boeing 757 captain with a major U.S. carrier who has consulted for Transport Canada on wildlife issues.

"You've got a 767 coming out of Rome that has both engines damaged and you've got one coming out of O'Hare, one's on fire and the other had bird remains in it," he said. "The facts speak for themselves."

Global warming and successful conservation efforts have caused bird populations to explode across North America -- particularly larger birds that travel in flocks and pose the greatest risk to planes. For example, the Canada goose population tripled across the country between 1990 and 1999. A single 6.8 kilogram (15-pound) goose can pack 37,000 kilograms worth of force if it hits a plane going 555 km/h.

Milder winters mean more geese are staying in Canada longer, causing year-round problems for aircraft.

Birds have become more accustomed to living in urban environments but are still attracted to the large empty tracts of land at airports.

New technology has also created faster, quieter jet engines, which are more difficult for birds to detect but weren't designed to withstand the impact of large birds as Canada geese.

Most bird strikes happen around airports because most birds fly below 3,000 feet. Planes are most vulnerable to birds on takeoff because they need to quickly gain speed, which they may not be able to do if their engine is damaged by a bird.

Summer is traditionally the active season for birds and it's typically smaller species, such as sparrows and starlings, that are an issue at Waterloo Region's airport, said operations manager Kevin Campbell. "We're not seeing any higher than normal activity for this time of year," he said.

WestJet spokesperson Gillian Bentley said the number of bird strikes doesn't concern the airline.

"Certainly, we're not concerned overly with the bird strikes in Kitchener," she said. "There are not any more than any other airport of that size."

Any plane that hits a bird gets a maintenance check, Bentley said. > The Waterloo Region airport spends about $10,000 to $20,000 a year on wildlife programs, Campbell said.

Officials fenced off the runways after noticing deer frequently crossing at night. Infield grass is kept long to deter larger birds afraid of the predators that may hide there.

But the longer grass attracts smaller birds who feed on insects.

In July 2006, the airport got a verbal reprimand from Transport Canada for allowing its grass to grow too long, attracting starlings, which are known to travel in large flocks.

Airport staff found 29 dead starlings on the runway after pilots on a Northwest Airlines flight landing from Detroit noticed "a flock of birds flew out of the long grass," reads a Transport Canada report of the incident.

Pearson International in Toronto uses falcons to chase away flocks of birds, while some other airports have taken to shooting a few birds in front of their friends to reinforce the message they're not welcome.

It all adds up to piecemeal work by industry and government that isn't going far enough to address the issue, Eschenfelder said. There are no joint working groups between industry and regulators to develop better practices, and lax reporting requirements mean wildlife is one of the least understood hazards in aviation, he said.

"We mitigate problems everyday. Wind shear is out there, we operate. Thunderstorms are out there, we operate. Icing is out there, we operate. But we have strategies to mitigate those.

We don't have a strategy here."

Transport Canada began requiring airports to report bird strikes last May, as well as develop local wildlife risk- assessment plans.

Despite some regulatory gains, pilots still don't receive enough training to manage and avoid bird strikes, Eschenfelder said.

"They don't have a clue. You show them some of these serious incidents and their jaws drop open and their eyes pop out. Were talking about basic rudimentary stuff that's not even there."

Governments are working to change that, MacKinnon said.

Officials are planning to set a up committee of aircraft designers, maintenance personnel and pilots to look at the issue during the Kingston conference.

Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration are also jointly creating an interactive bird-strike training CD-ROM for pilots.

tmcmahon@therecord.com

Latest Bird-plane Collision Causes Worry Among Airport Officials

The Columbus (OH) Dispatch

August 25, 2007

Airport officials are examining their wildlife hazard management plan after a jet struck a flock of starlings on takeoff and had to return to the airport for an emergency landing.

The jet, an American Eagle regional flight carrying 55 people, lost thrust in one of its engines on Aug. 17 before returning safely to Port Columbus International Airport, said Rod Borden, chief operating officer of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

"We periodically get bird strikes, but I can't recall one that we would view as being that serious," Borden said.

It took workers about 40 minutes to remove about three dozen dead starlings that had fallen onto a runway.

Starlings, which generally weigh less than four ounces and travel in large numbers, can seriously damage aircrafts. In 1960, an Eastern Airlines plane crashed into the Boston Harbor after a flock of starlings damaged its turboprop engines, killing 62 people.

"They are sort of like feathered bullets. They are a dense bird and they fly in dense flocks," said Richard Dolbeer, who heads the U.S. Department of Agriculture's airport wildlife hazards program.

There are typically around 100 million starlings in North America at the beginning of the nesting season in the spring. By late summer, the starling population rises to an estimated 250 million.

Airport officials in Columbus have noticed an increase in the pesky birds, and might ask the USDA or an outside consultant to help develop ways to reduce the numbers living on or near airport grounds, Borden said. He speculated that new construction at the airport might turn over fresh dirt, exposing insects that attract the starlings.

Statistics from the USDA's Wildlife Services Division indicate that, from 1990 to 2006, starlings were involved in 1,686 out of a total of 71,670 bird strikes by aircraft.

Growing tall grass on airport grounds and setting off loud pyrotechnics like propane cannons can deter birds from nesting at airports, Dolbeer said. Port Columbus uses some of those methods and also is considering cutting some trees.

The airport would consider culling some of the bird population only as a last resort, Borden said.

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

Clearing for Takeoff
Birds, Other Animals Pose Hazard at Area Airports

Bill Fortier, Telegram and Gazette [MA] Staff Writer

August 3, 2007

Massachusetts airports reported 959 wildlife strikes over 17 years, with 939 by birds and 20 by terrestrial mammals.
Nationwide, birds account for 97% of reported strikes, animals 3% and reptiles less than 1%.
About 63% of bird strikes took place in the day and 64% of terrestrial mammal strikes took place at night.
Estimated annual losses in direct costs related to wildlife strikes over 17 years ranged from $89.1 million to $445.4 million.
85% of reported wildlife strikes produced no damage.
37% of bird strikes occurred during takeoff run and climb; 39% during approach.
34% of terrestrial mammal strikes occured during takeoff run.

Source: Federal Aviation Administration

People driving and walking by Worcester Regional Airport regularly have had to stop while a flock of wild turkey strolls by or a deer bounds in front of them.

Sometimes the animals defy the efforts of airport officials and venture onto the grounds of the 1,300-acre airport, which is surrounded by several miles of fence.

Like all airports across the country that serve general aviation, the Worcester airport must file a wildlife hazard mitigation report, which details the steps taken to make sure birds and other animals dont cause a problem.

While the Worcester airport deals mostly with smaller birds such as mourning doves and starlings, Logan International Airport in Boston frequently has to deal with seagulls and Canada geese, according to Massachusetts Port Authority spokesman Matthew Brelis.

Worcester airport, Logan International Airport and Hanscom Field in Bedford are operated by Massport, which has a full-time wildlife biologist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture working with the airports on wildlife-control measures.

Wildlife control is a serious matter at airports. There have been many instances of wild animals colliding with planes and causing crashes, some times with deadly results. News reports last Friday, for example, showed what was believed to be a stray dog on a runway at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. The dog eventually ran into a terminal but a jet had to be diverted while airport security tried to catch the dog as it ran across two of the busy airports main runways.

Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn., also deals primarily with smaller birds, although Airport Operations Manager Rollin S. Tebbetts said an occasional fox burrows under the miles of fence surrounding the airport.

Bradley Director of Communications John J. Wallace said the most unusual event involving an animal occurred several years ago, when a black bear ambled into a parking garage.

He was trying to get to Yellowstone Park, Mr. Wallace said with a laugh.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection tranquilized the bear and took it far from the airport.

And then theres Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fla., where a trapper is on retainer to assist in capturing alligators that get into an area of the airport where they can cause a problem, said public relations manager Barbara-Anne S. Urrutia.

We see them pretty often, she said.

Records in the Federal Aviation Administrations National Wildlife Strike Database show that since 1990, Florida airports have reported 13 of the 14 alligator run-ins nationwide with planes and 12 of 15 strikes involving armadillos.

Ms. Urrutia couldnt recall any strikes at the airport involving armadillos but said one alligator had been struck by a plane in the seven years she has been at the airport. Another concern at the airport is wild hogs that roam nearby.

Southwest Florida International was the first in the country to use border collies to herd flocks of birds, such as large cranes, away from planes, she said.

At Worcester airport, the wildlife isnt nearly as exotic, said Airport Operations Manager-Shift Manager Eddie Tyson. Mr. Tyson said he has seen coyotes on the runway during his 11 p.m.-to-7 a.m. shift, but no deer since 2001. A groundhog that had been living along one of the airports two major runways was removed. And a moose was spotted near the airport about two weeks ago.

Mr. Tyson said that before he came to Worcester several years ago, he had a similar job at Logan, where he rescued a kitten he named Solo.

Mr. Tebbetts said Bradley airport employees make several runs each day to check on wildlife. Worcester airport security does the same thing, Mr. Tyson said. The number of wildlife patrol runs doesnt change just because the facility that serves as home base for 30 to 40 private pilots isnt used by commercial airlines.

We care as much for our little brother as we do about our big brother, Mr. Tyson said before driving out to runway 15/33 in a sport utility vehicle.

As is done at most airports, firecracker-like pyrotechnics are shot out of a starters pistol to disperse flocks of birds that fly around Worcester airport. Massport spokesman Richard P. Walsh said propane cannons are used at Logan to encourage the wildlife to move.

One item Mr. Tyson shoots out of the starter-pistol is a firecracker called a bird-banger, which produces a loud bang similar to the report of a gunshot. A screamer, another pyrotechnic tool, emits a high-pitched whistling sound.

You dont want to use the same one, because the birds get used to the sound and they dont get scared away, Mr. Tyson said.

Birds are pretty smart that way, Ms. Urrutia said. She said birds look at Radar, the border collie, and run away because they think its a wolf. The border collie program started in 1999 with a dog named Jet, she said.

Mr. Tyson said Worcester airport also is home to a hawk that shoos away smaller birds.

We try to use natural ways to control wildlife as much as possible, he said.

The jetport in back of the terminal also has two plastic owls that serve as an airport version of a scarecrow.

When asked if the owls are an effective wildlife deterrent, Mr. Brelis said they wouldnt be there if airport officials didnt think they worked.

Grass along the sides of the runways at Worcester airport is kept a little higher so smaller birds dont feel at ease, because they cannot get a good look at predators.

Mr. Brelis said Logans landscaping program calls for shrubs and trees that do not attract problem birds and insects those birds feed on.

When endangered species are spotted, they are trapped and turned over to an agency that cares for them. For example, when some snowy owls stopped by Logan several years ago, they were captured and turned over to the state Audubon Society, Mr. Brelis said.

When a plane strikes a bird or other wildlife, a detailed report is sent to the FAA. If local airport officials cant identify the beast, the remains are frozen and sent to the Smithsonian Institution, where biologist Dr. Carla Dove determines its identity.

Contact reporter Bill Fortier by e-mail at wfortier@telegram.com.

Seagull Problem Here To Stay

Gibfocus

July 30, 2007

Following a bird strike at the airfield in recent weeks [Gibraltar], which saw a GB Airways aircraft damaged, experts at the airfield have suggested to gibfocus that the continued growth of the seagull population means that the "seagulls are here to stay."

Speaking to gibfocus an expert in the problems faced by the airfiled crews told how airfield services have expressed their concerns over the high number of seagulls in the area. Amongst the two key areas of concern, which are believed to have led to the seagulls presence in the area are the rubble dump and the continued feeding of the birds by members of the public.

"As long as someone keeps on giving pigeons food, what you are doing is also feeding the seagulls," said a source close to the airfield. At the same time highlighting that the presence of the rubble dump next to eastern beach and others in the vicinity continues to attract the gulls into the area.

Criticisms over culling policies have been at the core of the concerns beng expressed. "Unless they can associate landing planes with death the seagulls will not go," claimed the same source, highlighting that restrictions in culling and the shooting of the birds to keep them clear of the area had led to more and more birds using the area.

Another area of concern has been the continued use of some man-made rocky outcrops by the seagulls to nest. This has led to an increase in the number of seagulls at the foot of the runway.

Whilst the concerns are being addressed warnings have been expressed that unless stricter policies are enforced the seagull problem will continue, "its simple whilst there are birds in the area there will be bird strikes damaging planes," warned one expert.

To Prevent Bird Strikes On Plane Engines, Some Airports Are Employing Feathered Foes

Globe and Mail, Toronto

By Geoff Nixon

July 23, 2007

Rob Shevalier has one of the most unconventional security jobs at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

He's a falconer by trade, and the 36-year-old spends his time driving around the 1,900 hectares of land at Pearson in a Ford F-150 pickup truck scaring away avian pests.

Birds, whether big or small, can be major hazards for both pilots and passengers when they get caught in the turbines of planes, with bird strikes accounting for an estimated $1.2-billion in damage every year to the worldwide airline industry.

That's why it is Mr. Shevalier's job to discourage these wild and winged flight hazards from hanging around his airport.

Mr. Shevalier is part of a team of 12 falconers, who contract their services to the airport through Canadian wildlife services company Falcon Environmental Services, that partners with birds of prey - 11 falcons, 10 hawks and one bald eagle - to chase away problem birds.

"Over the years, the program has evolved [from] where it was one guy going out with either a falcon or a shot gun and doing bird control," said Mr. Shevalier, who has been a falconer at Pearson for the past seven years.

"Now it's a little more sophisticated," he said, noting that new types of computer technology allow them to keep precise statistical information on the location, number and types of birds nesting on airport grounds.

Using such methods, Mr. Shevalier said, he and his fellow wildlife control officers counted - and presumably scared away - more than 500,000 avian visitors to the Toronto airfield last year.

"It's the best job in the world," Mr. Shevalier said. "It's a gratifying job where you know that when you're out there flying your birds that you are making an impact on safety."

Together, from one hour before dawn until an hour after dusk, Mr. Shevalier and his fellow falconers keep a close eye on the number of birds they come across on airport grounds and keep track of where they like to hang out.

And that's where the action begins.

"We have the birds in our vehicles, they are equipped to carry two to three birds [each]," Mr. Shevalier said.

Between 30 to 50 times a shift, each of the falconers will let one of their avian companions loose to harass the selected targets.

"Our hawks, which we fly out of the window - they actually sit on the head rests of the vehicle - we can drive up to 40 kilometres an hour, roll down the window, she'll fly out to chase off a nuisance bird and then fly back to the vehicle," he said.

"So we can actually drive on the taxiway or on the runway, have the bird fly out of the vehicle, without us stopping and without us even bothering the tower."

The falcons, he said, are kept hooded in the back of the truck and are driven to the locations they are needed and released from outside of the vehicle. The bald eagles, who Mr. Shevalier said are simply too big to manage in the front seat, are released outside the vehicle as well.

Mr. Shevalier said the falconer program at Pearson has been in place since the 1970s, but it has grown and it continues to develop every day; last month the airport introduced four more members to its falcon flock.

And it's not just Toronto that has invested in these avian experts. About a half-dozen military and commercial airports across Canada, including CFB Trenton and Halifax International Airport, use falconers to patrol their airport lands. In Halifax, falconer Derek Forrest has led the airport's falcon effort since it started in 1999.

The year before they started using falcons, Mr. Forrest said, the airport suffered 68 bird strikes. By the end of the first year of the falcon program, that number had declined to 12 and it has stayed low ever since.

Bruce MacKinnon, chair of the Bird Strike Committee of Canada, said using birds of prey for airport wildlife control is not a widespread practice at Canadian airports because it is not necessarily the most cost-effective method.

"It's an expensive way of doing ... bird control work, and it's probably no more effective than other techniques," Mr. MacKinnon said, adding that large Canadian airports typically spend at least $1-million a year dealing with wildlife concerns.

But, Mr. MacKinnon pointed out, the method does have its advantages.

"Falconry provides one big asset," he said. "When an airport uses falconry it becomes a very good public relations tool. For whatever reason, animal welfare advocates would far rather see a falcon hunt a bird than a human."

Seagull Presence Causes Major Concerns As More Bird Strike Reports Emerge

Gibfocus

July 20, 2007

A further bird strike on an evening flight has been reported by informed sources close to the airfield. Although details of the alleged bird strike have as yet not been officially known, Gibfocus understands that an evening flight from Gibraltar is reported to have faced diversion after reports of a possible bird strike having taken place.

The unconfirmed reports comes at a time when airport and airfield crews have expressed their concerns at the continued high number of seagulls in the area. Restrictions on the culling methods, alongside the high frequency of aircraft landing in Gibraltar has led to fears that further bird strikes will be a regular occurrence, and could lead to a major accident.

Already at least three bird strikes are known to have taken place this year, in one occasion a GB Airways aircraft required its front nose replaced due to the damage sustained.

Sources have today claimed that reports have suggested a commercial aircraft was struck by birds this week, presumably last night, with problems to both engines experienced. The reports have as yet to be confirmed.

The increased number of seagull within the area has seen airfield services highlight their concerns that unless new culling methods are allowed, or other processes to remove the birds are found, the continued growth in numbers of seagulls will create major safety risks for aircraft using the local runway.

Restrictions on the shooting of the birds have been imposed, although it is understood that on several occasions the safety risks posed has led to birds being shot at so as to remove them from the area. They will fly away if they know they are gonna be killed, said a source close to the airfield, so sometimes they will be shot at just to send out the message. Many have been killed but they wont go away, the same source explained.

Small Plane Crashes Near Woodland [CA] Airport

Daily Democrat, Woodland, CA

July 20, 2007

By Luke Gianna, Democrat Staff Writer

A plane carrying two passengers, a student and an instructor, crashed into a tomato field near the Watts-Woodland Airport just off County Road 94B at approximately 11:15 a.m. Both passengers refused medical care and were reported to be OK. (Deo Ferrer/Daily Democrat)

A small Cessna airplane crashed-landed after striking a bird and flipped over into a tomato field near the Watts-Woodland airport Friday shortly after take off.

There were two passengers aboard - a flight instructor and a student - both of whom survived without major injuries.

The pilot, Robert Holmes, suffered only minor lacerations to his face from broken glass caused by the bird strike. His passenger, whose name was not available, was uninjured and both men remained on the scene.

The Cessna 150, registered to Atkins Air LLC a charter aircraft company out of Lincoln, took off from Watts-Woodland airport and shortly there after stuck a hawk while flying at low altitude around 11:30 a.m.

The hawk smashed open the cockpit window, making the aircraft unable to fly, said Kent Atkin, Director of Operations for Atkins Air LLC.

The pilot shut down the fuel-power line before landing in the field which may have saved the plane from catching fire.

"I'd say they did an awesome job," Atkin said. "Anytime you walk away from a bird strike like that, it's a good thing."

"They knew they were going down so that's where they decided put down the aircraft," said chief Jeff Burke assistant chief of the Willow fire district.

"They are very fortunate to be alive," Burke said.

Avian Flu Drill Plays Out Honolulu Scenario

Honolulu Advertiser

July 12, 2007

By William Cole, Advertiser Military Writer

KALAELOA Indonesia has experienced more than 100 deaths from avian flu, officials said. So a simulated exercise conducted yesterday by military and civilian authorities was an opportunity to plan for the worst.

The scenario involved a fictional commercial airliner, en route from Jakarta to Mexico City, that crashed on Midway Island. Then, the injured that were evacuated to Hawai'i started experiencing flu-like symptoms.

The Midway crash simulation was realistic in its execution, with more than 200 military and civilian responders and an elaborate evaluation and quarantine operation at the Kalaeloa airport.

"What we're doing is forward-deploying the ability to test for flu at the airport," said state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Effler. "Hawai'i was really one of the first places to look at this and say, 'Hey, our public expects us to try to stop this at the airport.' "

The "Lightning Rescue" exercise, which officials said is one of the most ambitious of its kind held in the United States, simulated a Boeing 767 being diverted to Midway after a bird strike and then crashing on the atoll.

According to the scenario, the most critically injured were airlifted by the military on Tuesday to Honolulu hospitals. With a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft en route to Hawai'i with the remaining injured and emergency responders yesterday, it was learned that some may possibly be avian flu victims.

The C-130, which did not actually fly to Midway, was outfitted with stretchers that hung on scaffolding set up in the cargo bay.

With three armed Customs and Border Protection officers wearing masks and goggles guarding the exterior of the aircraft, seven patients on stretchers, including one who had died, and three walking wounded were taken off the aircraft.

A "blind" girl was among the group, along with several big stuffed animals representing family pets.

The patients were taken to a series of tents, and at the first, their temperatures were taken and a triage assessment was made, including affixing tags to some that read "contaminated."

In a second treatment tent, a man in a white shirt and dark pants said, "Doctor, help me, I can't breathe" as he lay on a gurney. Another man in shorts was placed in a clear plastic inflatable isolation bag with portholes that was connected to an air flow.

Elsewhere in the Hawai'i National Guard hangar, a quarantine site was set up, with victims lying on stretchers and on cots in large field tents.

Toby Clairmont, director of emergency medical services for the Healthcare Association of Hawai'i, said a holding facility could be in place for several weeks in the event of a real outbreak involving air passengers. Clairmont had a supervisory role with the Disaster Medical Assistance Team during the five-day exercise ending tomorrow.

Effler said Honolulu Airport has two gates 33 and 34 designated as holding spots should a plane land with suspected ill people aboard.

Approximately 75 people have been checked at the airport since November 2005, and of those, there were 12 positives for flu but none for avian flu, Effler said.

"We don't pretend that you can stop all cases of avian flu from entering," he said, " ... but we think it is absolutely reasonable that you would attempt to identify ill people, and if so, attempt to isolate them so that they can get the care that they need and at the same time protect the people in the community and hospitals."

Part of the exercise included rechecking injured airline passengers for bird flu who had been taken to O'ahu hospitals on Tuesday before flu symptoms were identified.

The exercise included military participants as well as federal, state and city responders, among them the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Aviation Administration, and state Civil Defense and Health Department.

A key organizing role in responses is held by the military's Joint Task Force-Homeland Defense at Fort Shafter, whose mission is to respond to terrorist threats and provide assistance in the event of disasters.

Lt. Col. Ed Toy, who is with the joint task force, said the military presence for exercises like "Lightning Rescue" is in support of civil authorities.

Toy said the No. 1 lesson learned from exercises like the plane crash "is communications the ability to achieve what we call a common operating picture."

"Lightning Rescue" is the third big exercise held in the past several years to test disaster readiness. A smaller response exercise last year focused on an air disaster on Wake Island, Toy said.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Airport Crew Cries Fowl

The Calgary Sun

July 11, 2007

By Nadia Moharib, WAG editor

They relocate hawks, scare off geese, get rid of rodents and get a little help from coyotes sneaky enough to find a way to trespass.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week the Calgary Airport Authority has a wildlife control officer patrolling the grounds for animals which might end up compromising the plans of pilots or even worse -- putting them in potential peril.

While some of the ways to keep runways and airways clear of critters involve sad endings, the ultimate goal is to keep them away in the first place.

Environmental Services Director Terry Thompson sat down with Wag Monthly to explain how airport officials try to avoid conflict on the runways.

"We try to be as proactive as we can," he said.

"Habitat control is the best tool we have.

"The idea is to make it as uninhabitable as possible."

One of the biggest problems is on the east side of the property, where thousands of Canada geese land within a short distance of the runways.

Because it's impossible to control where the birds fly, the best bet is to either scare them off or try to prevent them from landing there in the first place, Thompson said.

To that end, goose lagoon will be drained in the near future so the geese will settle elsewhere.

Last year, there were 47 reported strikes of birds hitting aircraft

"To be frank, lots of times pilots don't notice," Thompson said of the bird strikes.

"The aircraft are actually designed to take impact of fairly big birds."

Still, damage incurred adds up to millions a year for North American airline industries, not to mention the death of the downed birds.

That's why officials use so-called harassment techniques when the birds get too close.

In worst-case scenarios, they warn pilots of the wildlife at large.

"We tell them there's a flock of 200 gulls on the end of your runway, so maybe you don't want to depart yet," Thompson said.

Coyotes, however, are one animal that aren't entirely unappreciated.

"Coyotes eat a lot of water foul and assist with rodents," Thompson says.

"In fact, we should give them little badges so they can be control officers."

Bird Strike Costs Brazilian Pilot His Eye

Aero-News Network

July 4, 2007

Animal Breaks Through Windshield

A 22 year-old pilot has lost an eye to a bird strike.

Carlos Willian Pereira Fraga was flying an unknown-type twin engine aircraft for an air ambulance company, and had just dropped off a patient in Campo de Marte in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and was headed to Jau, also in the state of Sao Paulo, with a doctor and a nurse on board.

The aircraft struck a large flock of ravens Sunday while over Jundiai, about 38 miles from Sao Paulo, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

One of the birds broke through the windshield and hit Fraga in the face, knocking him unconscious. The aircraft was reportedly on autopilot.

After several seconds, Fraga regained consciousness and was able to land safely at Jundiai airport. He was transported to a local hospital where doctors said two separate surgeries were performed but they were unable to save the pilot's left eye.

The medical crew was not injured.

Small Birds, Big Problem

KSBI-TV, Oklahoma City, OK

July 5, 2007

Planes at Tinker Air Force Base have something getting in the way. Birds in the area are causing major concerns.

Kevin Grant, State Director of the USDA Wildlife Services Program, says, "A one pound bird can create two and a half tons of force."

A number of agencies have teamed up to solve the problem. They have some simple solutions they use as scare tactics.

Ray Moody, the Natural Research Biologist at Tinker Air Force Base, says, "Anything that makes a lot of noise."

They use a pistol to scare off birds, but don't worry the gun doesn't kill birds.

Moody says, "They're kind of like a roman candle or a bottle rocket."

He goes on to say, "There really isn't one magic bullet that takes care of wildlife. You have to use a number of techniques."

There are also easier techniques such as a clapper to scare the birds away. Officials also use a propane cannon and a laser light. As for the planes themselves, wire is used to keep the birds from perching on the aircrafts.

Lt. Colonel Greg Allred, Chief of Flight Safety for Tinker Air Force Base, says, "The Air Force had over 5,000 reported bird strikes last year and over 16 million in damage."

Oklahoma County Commissioners could decide next week whether to provide funding. Today, Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart shared with us his thoughts.

Rinehart says, "It's imperative that we as a county step up to the table and provide leadership as a board of county commissioners to provide $25,000 in funding to support Tinker Air Force Base."

The money would pay the state Agriculture Department to help get the birds out of the way.

More News

Last Revised: August 27, 2007

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