Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazards

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Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazards

• Donald Teig
• HQ AFCESA/CEOA

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US Airways Flight 1549
AP photo
15 January 2009 in the Hudson River
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(No Transcript)
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Objective
Introduce you to basic BASH information so you
have an understanding of potential wildlife
hazards at your base.
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Overview

• Awareness
• Identifying the Problem
• Dealing With the Problem
• Engineers Role
• Safetys Role

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72,827 Wildlife Strikes
740,786,928 Damage20 Year Average (86-06) -
35.0M, 3338 Strikes
Statistics (1985 2006)
Cost in millions
Count
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Statistics (1985 2006)
Count

• AIRFIELD
• 35,453 strikes (48)
• 248,347,481 (32)

• LOW-LEVEL / RANGE
• 10,364 strikes (14)
• 490,693,694 (62)

Cost

• OTHER
• 28,273 strikes (38)
• 46,171,694 (6)

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Statistics (1985 2006)
Strikes Per Month
Spring Migration
Fall Migration
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Strikes By Altitude
500 AGL, 64

1000 AGL, 79
2000 AGL, 92
Strikes
Altitude Feet AGL
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Strikes By Species (Count)
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Strikes By Species (Cost)
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BASH Examples
Size Doesnt Always Matter F-16 Target
Pod White-Throated Swift
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BASH Examples
Damage to fan blades and canopy
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BASH Examples
Props Dont Necessarily Stop Engine
Ingestions C-130 American Robin 495K Damage
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BASH Examples
Radome Damage
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BASH Examples
Rotary Winged Aircraft Arent Immune US Marine
Corps Cobra Golden Eagle
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BASH Examples
BASH Isnt Just For The Birds White-tailed Deer
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Identifying the Problem

• Strike Reporting
• Wildlife Identifications
• Observations / Surveys
• Nighttime Hazards

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Wildlife Identifications
Feather Identification
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION National Museum of
Natural History

• OVER HALF OF ALL BIRD STRIKES ARE IDENTIFIED

• EXPERTS ARE AT THE SMITHSONIAN

• ACCESS TO OVER 650,000 SPECIMENS

Red-tailed Hawks
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Observations / Surveys
Plot Potential Trouble Areas (on off base)
directly on a Geographic Information System (GIS)
Map
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Wildlife Hazards To Night Flying
Nighttime Hazards

• Non-migration
• Insectivores
• Owls
• Migration
• Passerines (Songbirds)
• Waterfowl
• Can be flying at fairly high altitudes
• Mammals
• Bats, deer, and coyote

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Dealing with the Problem

• Exclude / Mitigate
• Harass
• Depredate
• Avoid

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Exclude / Mitigate

• GRASS HEIGHT (7-14 inches)
• NO BARE AREAS
• ELIMINATE BROAD-LEAF PLANTS
• AVOID WEED SEED HEADS

Ecosystem Management
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Exclude / Mitigate
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
MOW DURING LOW FLYING
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Exclude / Mitigate
Maintain Good Airfield Drainage
ELIMINATE STANDING WATER
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Exclude / Mitigate

• DO NOT FEED THE WATERFOWL
• FENCE OR GRID SMALL PONDS

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Exclude / Mitigate
Fencing Best Deterrent to Deer
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Exclude / Mitigate
Dont Give Them a Reason to be There
REMOVE PERCHES
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Exclude / Mitigate
Crops Around Your Airfield
MANAGE OUTLEASING WISELY - No Grain Crops
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Harass
Harassment Tools
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Harass
Be aware of other activities around the airfield
when harassment activities are taking place
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Depredate

• Depredation
• Use only after other methods have been employed
• Permits, Permits, Permits
• US Fish Wildlife Service
• State Game Department

When all else fails..
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Avoid
Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) Avian Hazard Advisory
System (AHAS) Small Mobile Radar (SMR)
Dealing
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Bird Avoidance Model
BAM

• Data
• Geographic Information System-based
• 30 Years of Top 60 Species
• Web Based

Dealing
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Small Mobile Radar
Dealing
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BASH Problem

• The Safety Office is responsible
• Cross-functional participation
• Safety (SE)
• Civil Engineering (CE)
• Judge Advocate General (JAG)
• Public Affairs (PA)
• Director of Operations (DO)
• Logistics (LG)

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Safety Responsibilities

• Installation Safety Office

• Establish a BASH Plan
• Establish Bird Hazard Working Group, (BHWG)
• Establish procedures for wildlife control
• Develop a Bird Hazard Warning System
• Designate Phase I / II periods of bird activity

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Safety Responsibilities
BASH Plan

• Flight safety office will establish the BASH
  plan, defining the nature and extent of wildlife
  hazards and implementation of the plan
• Living document
• Use Bird Hazard Working Group as forum for
  revising plan
• Responsibilities of each organization spelled out
  clearly

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Bird Hazard Working Group
Safety Responsibilities

• Consists of organizations involved in airfield
  bird control, habitat management, operations, and
  safety
• Meet at least semi-annually
• Maintain minutes
• Vice wing commander chairs meetings
• Forum to discuss budgeting and all airfield
  projects and how they impact BASH

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Wildlife Control
Safety Responsibilities

• Internal Manpower
• Which agency is responsible for harassment and/or
  depredation
• Equipment
• Contract Manpower
• US Department of Agriculture/Wildlife Services
• depredation, harassment, surveys ..

Airports are not Wildlife Refuges
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Sunrise/Sunset
Flying one hour before and after dawn or
dusk should be avoided unless absolutely
necessary. The highest levels of bird activity
normally occur during these hours as birds leave
and return to their roost. Avoiding flight
operations during these periods can significantly
reduce the chance of a birdstrike.
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Other Solutions
Vulture roost less than 2 nautical miles from the
runway
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Other Solutions
A Taxidermy Mount Of a Dead Vulture
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DoD BASH POCs

• AIR FORCE
• Mr. Eugene LeBoeuf, DSN 246-5679 eugene.leboeuf_at_k
  irtland.af.mil
• NAVY
• Mr. Matthew Klope, [phone]
• matt.klope_at_navy.mil
• ARMY
• Mr. Kevin Walter, [phone]
• kevin.walter2_at_us.army.mil

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FAA Guidance

• Advisory Circular 150/5200-33
• FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR  HAZARDOUS WILDLIFE
  ATTRACTANTS ON OR NEAR AIRPORTS
• Federal Aviation Regulation Part 139, Sec.
  139.337
• CERTIFICATION AND OPERATIONS LAND AIRPORTS
  SERVING CERTAIN AIR CARRIERS
• Certification Alert 97-02
• RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAA AND USDA/WILDLIFE
  SERVICES
• Certification Alert 97-05
• GRASS ATTRACTIVE TO HAZARDOUS WILDLIFE
• Certification Alert 97-09
• WILDLIFE HAZARD MANAGEMENT PLAN OUTLINE

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USAF Guidance

• AFI 91-202 (Chapter 7.11) The US Air Force Mishap
  Prevention Program 1 Aug 98
• AFI 91-204 (Chapters 1.10.5.3 and 3.1) Safety
  Investigations and Reports (Bird Strike
  Reporting) 24 Sep 08
• AFMAN 91-223 (Chapters 1.3, 1.3.1.9 and 5.4.2)
  Aviation Safety Investigations and Reports 6 Jul
  04
• AFPAM 91-212 Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH)
  Management Techniques 1 Feb 04
• AFI 32-7064 Integrated Natural Resources
  Management   17 Sep 04
• AFI 32-7061 Environmental Impact Analysis Process
  2 Mar 03
• AFI 13-213 Airfield Management 8 Dec 05
• AFI 21-201 Management and Maintenance of
  Non-Nuclear Munitions 10 Feb 05 

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Navy Guidance

• OPNAVINST 5909.1B CH-3 Environmental and Natural
  Resources Program Manual
• NAVFAC P-73 Procedural Manual, Volume II
• OPNAVINST 3750.6R Chg 1 Naval Aviation Safety
• Program

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References

• USAF BASH Team Web Site
• www.afsafety.af.mil/AFSC/Bash/home.html
• USAF BAM / AHAS Web Site
• www.usahas.com
• Federal Aviation Administration BASH Web Site
• www.wildlife-mitigation.tc.faa.gov/public_html/in
  dex.html

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QUESTIONS?