Author: Gary Searing

Bird strike leads to plane crashing at a Douglas County golf course

Sep 2, 2023 News by Gary Searing
A plane crashed at a Douglas County golf course after striking at least one bird during take off Saturday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The plane, a single-engine Cessna 172S, had just taken off from Centennial Airport, Colorado at 6:15 a.m. The small plane ended up on its roof at Meridian Golf Club, […]

Naval aviation training mitigates risk of bird strikes

Aug 14, 2023 News by Gary Searing
Naval Aviation is built on a physically and mentally rigorous syllabus that requires students and instructors to overcome many challenges. Student Naval Aviators (SNAs) are sometimes required to make split-second decisions, respond to simulated emergencies and, occasionally respond to actual inflight emergencies. Some naval air stations that support SNA training are located in major migratory […]

Bird strike caused T-38 jet crash last November, investigators say

Jul 26, 2023 News by Gary Searing
A T-38C Talon training jet crashed in eastern Mississippi last November after a bird collided with its windshield — shattering the canopy, breaking its engines and prompting the lone pilot to eject, an Air Force investigation has concluded. The pilot, an instructor with the 49th Fighter Training Squadron at Mississippi’s Columbus Air Force Base, sustained minor injuries […]

Chicken Cannons: How Aviation Companies Simulate Bird Strikes

May 23, 2023 News by Gary Searing
A bizarre yet accurate method used to plan and prepare for high-speed bird encounters. On January 15, 2009, US Airways flight 1549 flew through a flock of geese shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport in New York. Both of the Airbus A320’s engines lost power. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles managed to safely […]

FAA Seeks Public Comment on Wildlife Strikes

May 16, 2023 News by Gary Searing
The proposed advisory circular reduces the minimum acceptable size for reporting animal collisions. “Uh-oh!” This is not a phrase you want to hear in an airplane, but that was what the learner said when we encountered the red-tailed hawk on downwind. Before myself or the learner could react, the bird, flapping wildly and heading toward […]