Bird Causes Emergency Plane Landing In Florida
Posted February 16, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
In the United States, a pilot was able to make a safe landing, saving the lives of everyone on board, after a bird came in contact with the aircraft.
Sound familiar? It happened just over a month ago, when pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger, III miraculously touched down on the Hudson River.
The Jan. 15 event made him a hero, and understandably so. It appears that a flock of Canada Geese became trapped in two of the plane’s engines, disabling the craft.
Still, the man known as Sully was able to safely land the plane.
While an incident in Florida wasn’t nearly as dramatic, the similarities are striking.
Monday, a plane landed at Fort Lauderdale airport with a bird stuck just above the windshield.
The bird’s body was embedded in the metal but once again, the pilot was able to land without any injuries.
Bicyclists are known for urging drivers to share the road – should we be sending a similar message to our avian friends?
At Pearson International Airport, a group of 24 falcons – like the one pictured above – are on hand to scare away smaller birds and keep the area safe for planes.
“A bird can take down an airplane,” explained Wildlife Control Manager Rob Shevalier. “An engine can only withstand about four to five pounds of bird.”
“It’s like a giant oasis for birds to come to an airport. It’s fenced. There’s no human activity. They’ve got food. They’ve got water. We have farmers’ fields around the airport. We also have two rivers that run through Pearson.”
The bird most commonly involved in strikes at Canadian airports? The ubiquitous seagull.
Birds Of Prey Keep You Safe At PIA Without You Knowing It
All 155 Miraculously Safe After Plane Crashes Into Frigid Waters Of New York’s Hudson River
