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From the inception of aviation, birds have been a persistent danger to aircraft. It’s hard to believe that a small, feathered creature could down a colossal plane, yet such incidents have led to countless close calls, catastrophic crashes, and tragic fatalities.
In 1905, Wilbur Wright—one of the renowned aviation pioneers—noted in his journal, “Twice flew over fences into Bread’s cornfield. Pursued flocks of birds during two circuits and struck one, which landed on the upper wing before falling off during a sharp turn.” Although the plane remained intact and no injuries occurred, this marked the beginning of a growing concern. https://wrightstories.com/bird-strikes/
Below are ten of the most notorious aviation disasters caused by birds.
10. The Hudson River Miracle
One of the most well-known bird-strike events in recent history involves US Airways flight 1549. Piloted by Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the Airbus 320 departed from LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009. Carrying five crew members and 150 passengers en route to Charlotte, North Carolina, the flight was expected to be uneventful. However, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft collided with a group of Canadian geese.
The Canadian goose, which can be migratory, is a sizable bird, measuring up to 48 inches (122 centimeters) in height and weighing as much as 24 pounds (11 kilograms). While a single goose striking a plane is hazardous, an entire flock caused catastrophic damage to both engines of the Airbus. With no ability to restart the engines, Captain Sullenberger opted to land the plane on the Hudson River. Miraculously, within five minutes of the collision, he successfully touched down on the water, ensuring the survival of all 155 individuals on board.
This aviation incident captured global attention and was later adapted into a blockbuster film titled Sully, featuring Tom Hanks in the lead role.
9. Three Engines Down
Tragically, the passengers and crew of Eastern Airlines flight 375 were not as fortunate. On October 4, 1960, the Lockheed L188A Electra departed from Logan Airport and immediately encountered a massive flock of starlings. Despite starlings being relatively small, weighing just ounces (100 grams), they often gather in enormous groups, sometimes exceeding 100,000 birds.
As the aircraft collided with the flock, several birds were ingested into engines 1, 2, and 4. The abrupt and catastrophic power loss caused the plane to roll and plummet into Winthrop Bay. The crash claimed 62 lives, and the aircraft was utterly destroyed. Investigators later recovered 75 starling remains on the runway.
It’s astonishing to think that such small birds could trigger the most fatal bird-strike aviation disaster in history!
8. A Swarm of Seagulls
Captain Sullenberger isn’t the only heroic pilot who saved lives following a bird strike. On August 15, 2019, a Ural Airlines Airbus A321 departing from Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport encountered a flock of seagulls. Captain Damir Yusupov skillfully landed the plane in a nearby cornfield, ensuring the survival of all passengers and crew. While 70 injuries were reported, only one was severe enough to necessitate hospitalization. Yusupov was hailed as a hero, and images of grateful survivors standing in the cornfield evoked memories of the passengers on flight 1549 standing on the wings in the Hudson River.
Following the incident, authorities investigated the bird presence and identified two nearby illegal landfills as the source of the flocking birds.
7. Preparing for a Gear-Up Landing
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On Thursday, September 15, 1988, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-260 collided with a flock of pigeons. As the plane descended to between 100 and 200 feet (30 to 60 meters) above the ground, it experienced a power loss, and the engines started backfiring. The pilot managed to gain some altitude and diverted away from Lake Tana to attempt a return to the runway. However, both engines ultimately failed. Despite the captain’s efforts to execute a gear-up landing, the 737 disintegrated and burst into flames upon impact.
Initial reports indicated that 31 of the 102 passengers and crew perished in the crash, with the possibility of more fatalities as two individuals remained unaccounted for. The final death toll was confirmed at 35.
6. The Danger of Whistling Swans
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Pigeons, starlings, gulls, and geese aren’t the sole avian culprits behind aviation disasters. In 1962, a flock of swans caused a tragic crash. On Friday, November 23, 1962, United Airlines flight 297, a Vickers 745D Viscount, departed from Newark en route to Washington, D.C. During the journey, it collided with a group of whistling swans. Despite being the smallest swan species, whistling swans weigh an average of 16 pounds (7.25 kilograms)—sufficient to down a commercial aircraft.
During the flight, at least two birds struck the plane, with one impacting a stabilizer. The damage severely compromised the aircraft’s structural integrity, rendering it uncontrollable. The plane plummeted from around 6,000 feet, resulting in the deaths of all 17 passengers and crew.
5. The Tragic End of the Birdman
The first documented fatality due to a bird strike happened in 1912. Calbraith Perry Rodgers, who became the 49th licensed pilot globally after just one month of training, learned about a $50,000 reward offered by publisher William Randolph Hearst for the first person to fly across the country in under 30 days. Rodgers bought a 35-horsepower Model EX biplane from the Wright Company to attempt the feat.
Rodgers’s journey was plagued with challenges from the outset. His partial deafness, lack of navigation tools, and an aircraft that Oliver Wright deemed unsuitable for the trip led to multiple rough landings, engine malfunctions, and even crashes. Although Rodgers knew he couldn’t complete the journey within 30 days, he was determined to finish, and on December 10, 1911, he succeeded. His fame, however, was short-lived. Just a few months later, on April 3, 1912, while performing at an air show in California, his plane collided with a flock of birds and crashed in front of hundreds of spectators. The aviator, ironically nicknamed “The Birdman,” died instantly upon impact.
4. Thunderbirds Lose Their Support Team
Established in 1953, The Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force’s premier aerial demonstration team, continue to captivate audiences worldwide with their precision flying. However, in 1958, the USAF faced a tragic loss when some of their own perished in an accident.
On Thursday, October 9, 1958, a Fairchild C-123B Provider transporting a support team for the Thunderbirds collided with a formation of geese. The plane crashed near Payette, Idaho, resulting in the deaths of all 19 individuals on board.
A memorial honoring the crew remains in Payette, and a ceremony was conducted in 2018 to mark the 60th anniversary of the tragic event.
3. The Fall of the Red Hawk
Occasionally, even a single bird can cause a catastrophic aviation accident. The fatal crash of a Marine helicopter at Camp Pendleton in 2011 was triggered by just one bird.
On September 19, 2012, an AH-1W Cobra twin-engine attack helicopter struck a red-tailed hawk, one of North America’s largest birds. Investigators determined that the female hawk, weighing approximately 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) with a wingspan of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters), collided with the helicopter. Within a minute of the impact, the rotor and transmission detached from the aircraft. The helicopter disintegrated and crashed, killing both Marine pilots. The incident also ignited a 120-acre brush fire, which required other aircraft to drop tons of fire retardant to extinguish.
2. The Peril of Geese
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Bird strikes aren’t limited to airplanes. On November 19, 2017, a Bell 407 air ambulance, N620PA, crashed after colliding with a flock of geese. The accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas, claimed the lives of the pilot and two other crew members.
Following the crash, investigators collected twelve bags of feathers and bird remains from the site, which were analyzed by the Smithsonian Institute. The findings confirmed the birds were snow geese. Remarkably, white feathers from the geese were discovered embedded in the pilot’s clothing and boot.
1. The Cockpit Catastrophe
Bird strikes don’t only harm aircraft engines; they can also injure crew members, leading to disastrous outcomes. On Wednesday, December 10, 1969, an Aeroflot/Georgia-operated Ilyushin IL-14P crashed approximately four minutes after takeoff. The accident, which occurred at an altitude of around 1150 feet (350 meters) over the sea, roughly 2.2 miles ( kilometers) from Makhachkala, Russia, resulted in the deaths of all 17 people on board.
Investigative reports later revealed that the crash was caused by a collision with a large flock of birds, which severely damaged the cockpit rather than the engines. The report also suggested that the crew may have been injured, leading to the aircraft’s uncontrolled descent.
