Birdstrike Canada – Wildlife Strike Definition
All airports in Canada are required to report strikes to Transport Canada. We urge airports to report strikes to Transport Canada as soon as possible in case additional information is required. Strikes can be reported by clicking on the picture below.
Bird Strike Canada encourages the use of a slightly modified version of the bird strike definition in CARS 302.303.
Confirmed Strike (must be reported as a “strike” to Transport Canada)
- Any reported wildlife strike where evidence in the form of a carcass, remains, blood or damage to the aircraft is found;
- When dead or injured wildlife are found within 60 m (200 ft) of a runway or taxiway unless another cause of death can be confirmed;
- when a pilot reports a strike and is convinced to have hit an animal.
Unconfirmed/Possible Strike (must be reported as a “strike” to Transport Canada)
- Any reported wildlife strike where no evidence is found (i.e., when a pilot “thinks” the plane struck an animal, or may have struck an animal, but no evidence is found).
Near Miss/Close Call (may be reported to Transport Canada as “near miss”)
- Any reported or observed occurrence where wildlife was in the airspace of an aircraft and posed a risk of collision, but no collision occurred.
Note that dead birds found along the approach/departure ends of the runway but more than 60 m from the runway ends are likely to be strikes that occurred at higher altitudes and should be considered as strikes unless other causes of death can be confirmed.
Adverse Effect Event – AEE (these may or may not be strike events, but are caused by aircraft-wildlife interactions and are typically the most serious consequences of those interactions)
- Damage to aircraft
- Engine Ingestion
- Obscured vision
- Smoke in cabin
- Missed approach/go-around/overshoot/holding pattern
- Runway change to avoid wildlife
- Precautionary landing
- Emergency landing
- Rejected takeoff (at speed)
- Landing short/long or early rotation to avoid wildlife
- Flight cancelled
- Evasive action to avoid strike
- Evasive action or stopping while taxing to take-off position or after landing roll is NOT considered an AEE unless it results in the aircraft leaving the paved surface or causes injury to passengers or crew