Airports Test New Ways to Prevent Deadly Bird Collisions

Flocks of birds flying near flight runways are shown at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Mich., Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010.
Image: Paul Sancya/Associated Press

When birds and planes collide, the results can be deadly. That's why airports around the world work hard to keep birds away, even resorting to shooting or poisoning large flocks.



Dayton is the first commercial airport to take such measures, but six U.S. military airfields have also replaced short grass with tall switchgrass, according to Audubon magazine.

There are more than 10,000 airplane bird strikes a year in the U.S. Most do little or no damage to the plane. The most frequent problem is damage to the engines. The FAA estimates that such damage costs the industry as much as $957 million a year.

And although many strikes have a small impact, some cause catastrophic damage.


US Airways

Passengers in an inflatable raft move away from an Airbus 320 US Airways aircraft that landed in the Hudson River in New York on Jan. 15, 2009 after a run in with birds.

Image: Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press

The passengers of Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 in 1960 weren't so lucky. The plane struck a flock of European starlings during takeoff. All four engines were damaged and the aircraft crashed in Boston harbor; 62 people died.



Between 2001 and 2013, there were 218 wildlife strikes at Dayton. The majority involved doves, pigeons, sparrows and other small birds that didn't cause severe damage. The airport sees 56 commercial planes landing and taking off each day. Two-thirds of those are smaller regional jets.


"We operate airports in a smaller and smaller environment," says Terrence G. Slaybaugh, director of Dayton's airport. "If we are going to protect the long term use of airports in an increasingly populated area we need to be less intrusive and find ways to contribute in a positive way to our surroundings."



The airport's neighbor, the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, has been working closely with aviation officials on the tall grass project. Bird lovers are excited that the tall grass does not only work to prevent airplane and bird collisions, but also creates a habitat for threatened species.

"It's a watershed moment. Our airport is embracing it," says Charity Krueger, executive director of the center.

Still, Dayton airport has to prove that the tall grass is the best approach. The tactic could backfire: in the past, the FAA notes, such grasses have led to increased rodent populations, a food source for raptors. Dayton's initial test will run for three years.

Preventing bird strikes often requires multiple approaches.

Airports need to plan out what type of trees and landscaping they plant, selecting vegetation that doesn't produce fruits or seeds attractive to birds. Waste from airport restaurants needs to be properly secured and irrigation improved to avoid large areas of standing water.

Then there are design factors.


Some locations take more drastic measures.


Dayton airport has had a policy for at least 14 years of not killing birds. But it does try to scare them away with loud noises from non-lethal pyrotechnics and recordings of geese in distress. Maybe with this new grass, even that harassment won't be necessary anymore.

Additional reporting by Mashable


Load Comments

What's New

What's Rising

What's Hot