Department of Research, Studies and International News 30-12-2024
Bird strikes pose frequent challenges to aviation, though major accidents are rare, say experts.
Taipei, Taiwan – The recent tragedy involving Jeju Air Flight 2216 in South Korea has brought attention to the potential dangers birds can pose to commercial aircraft.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the aircraft collided with a flock of birds moments before issuing a Mayday call and attempting an emergency landing at Muan International Airport. The Boeing 787-800 made a landing without deploying its landing gear, skidding across the runway before hitting a concrete wall and erupting into flames. Of the 181 passengers and crew, only two survived.
Aviation specialists note that while large birds can be hazardous, it is highly unusual for bird strikes alone to cause modern aircraft to crash.
Dane Williams, director of Aviation Safety Asia, stated that bird strikes rarely compromise aircraft safety to this extent. “Modern jet engines are engineered to handle foreign objects and expel them without catastrophic failure,” he explained.
Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief of Airline Ratings, suggested that additional factors may have contributed to the disaster. “Evidence points to an electrical failure,” Thomas said, citing the sudden loss of ADS-B location data and the failure to deploy landing gear or flaps. He noted these issues began shortly after the warning about the birds.
Authorities from South Korea and the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board are collaborating to determine the exact cause of the crash, given that the Boeing aircraft was manufactured in the U.S.
Bird strikes are common in commercial aviation, but they seldom lead to severe incidents. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration recorded 19,400 wildlife strikes at American airports in 2023 alone. Globally, airlines reported hundreds of additional incidents. Despite the frequency, bird strikes typically result in minor damage, costing the aviation industry approximately $1.5 billion annually.
Regulatory data from the UK shows that fewer than 100 of nearly 1,400 bird strikes in 2022 caused significant damage or disrupted flights.
Despite their rarity, bird strikes have been linked to several significant aviation accidents.
In 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed after a probable bird strike activated a malfunctioning flight control system.
The 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson” involved US Airways Flight 1549 safely landing in New York’s Hudson River after colliding with a flock of birds.
In 1995, 24 airmen died in Alaska when a collision with geese caused their military aircraft to crash.
Doug Drury, an aviation expert, emphasized that even in severe cases, modern planes like the Boeing 737 are designed to manage such emergencies. He raised questions about the circumstances of the Jeju Air crash, including why the pilots landed in the opposite direction of the runway and failed to reduce the aircraft’s speed.
The crash has reignited discussions about airport safety measures. At Muan International Airport, environmental assessments had recommended deploying sound cannons, lasers, and other bird deterrents, but these measures were delayed due to ongoing runway expansion.
Williams suggested authorities should also consider the impact of bird migration patterns when selecting airport locations.
South Korea declared a week of mourning, with Acting President Choi Sang-mok visiting the crash site to honor the victims. Choi also directed a comprehensive inspection of the country’s aviation sector, including all Boeing 737-800 aircraft, to prevent similar disasters in the future.
“As soon as recovery efforts conclude, the transport ministry must conduct a full safety review of all aviation operations,” Choi said.
This disaster, the worst in South Korea’s aviation history, has prompted a renewed focus on ensuring flight safety amid both natural and technical challenges.
