A plane crashed at a Douglas County golf course after striking at least one bird during take off Saturday morning,...
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Date: February 26, 2025
Location: Online
We believe that the key to reduce damaging wildlife strikes to aircraft in Canada is by building a community of professionals to exchange ideas, experiences and co-operative efforts to better manage wildlife at all Canadian airports. It is through the ecological management of wildlife and the application of best practices that we will be successful in reducing strikes to aircraft. In pursuing these beliefs, we influence all aspects of airport wildlife management in Canada.
The Bird Strike Association of Canada (BSAC or Bird Strike Canada) is a leader in airport wildlife strike prevention. Through dialogue with the industry, Bird Strike Canada seeks and advances innovative ideas in aviation safety. Our mandate includes setting standards and addressing industry issues by formulating effective strategies and implementing change through regulatory means. Birdstrike Canada is “The Canadian Voice of Wildlife Strike Prevention.”
The Bird Strike Canada is recognized by Transport Canada as Canada’s National Bird Strike Committee organized under the guidelines set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Wildlife management is a critical aspect of airport operations and aviation safety. This session is designed for airport personnel seeking to enhance their knowledge, exchange best practices, and engage with industry professionals.
On October 24, 2024, a Flair Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 (B38M), registration C-FLKO, operating flight FLE641/F8641 from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Winnipeg International Airport, encountered an emergency situation in flight due to a bird strike.
Shortly after takeoff from Toronto, the flight crew issued a “PAN-PAN” call, reporting a bird strike that had caused significant damage. As a result of the impact, the cockpit windshield sustained serious damage, preventing the aircraft from maintaining pressurization. Recognizing the severity of the issue, the crew decided to return to Toronto.
During the final approach, the captain requested clearance to stop directly on the runway after landing, as the severely shattered windshield impaired visibility from the cockpit, limiting their ability to safely maneuver.
This video reconstruction of the incident aims to raise awareness among the public and aviation professionals about the risks associated with bird strikes. The Bird Strike Association of Canada continues to promote aviation safety and encourages implementing preventive measures to reduce bird strike incidents.
During our 2019 North American Bird Strike Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a Ural Airlines Airbus A231 ingested gulls into both engines and crash-landed in a cornfield. There were no fatalities and only a few injuries. This was dubbed the “Miracle on the cornfield” as a parallel to the “Miracle on the Hudson” which occurred a decade earlier. The Interstate Aviation Committee completed their report of the incident in 2022 but did not formally release it. It contains some interesting facts that paint a picture of sloppy conduct from the federal government, the airport and the pilots. Good thing the Airbus engineers we not as sloppy in their aircraft navigational design. You can read the excellent synopsis of the Russian IAC report at this link: Dempsey_2023. The IAC report which Admiral Cloudberg (Kyra Dempsey) translated into English will be posted to the E-library as well.