Cannons, Pistols Used To Scare Airport Birds

COLUMBUS, Ohio —The crash landing of Flight 1549 has brought new attention to the problem posed by birds.

More than 219 people have been killed worldwide in the past 20 years because of bird strikes and in 2007, civilian aircrafts reported more than 7,600 bird and wildlife strikes in the nation, NBC 4‘s Patrick Preston reported.

At Port Columbus International Airport, there is a history of birds striking planes and their engines, leading to emergency landings. But nothing has happened in Columbus like what took place in New York Thursday.

The pilot of US Airways flight 1549 guided the jetliner over New York City and into the frigid Hudson River after hitting a flock of birds. All 155 on board were pulled to safety as the plane slowly sank.

Local authorities said there have been enough incidents for them to make sure they pay attention to the birds and try to mitigate the problem.

“The ingestion of a bird can create damage, tear up the fan blades and when the blades get loose, they get ingested (into) the engine and it starts to disintegrate,“ said Greg Feith, a Former NTSB Investigator.

Pilots are trained to deal with bird strikes, but the main line of defense is staff patrolling on the ground for geese, starlings and other birds by using cannons and pyrotechnic pistols that birds hate.

“We’re pretty aggressive. We’re out there harassing starlings whenever we see them starting to flock and if you harass them enough, they leave the area,“ said Bryan Schreiber, Airport Operations Supervisor.

In August 2000, a Delta Express Jet was forced to make an emergency landing after a bird flew into the engine.

In 2007, a pilot reported hitting a flock of birds during takeoff, cracking the windshield and damaging the plane’s engine. The plane landed safely without incident or injury.

What helps pilots flying out of Port Columbus is not having the natural bodies of water that attract birds in the area surrounding New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

The crew in Columbus tries to vary their methods of distraction because birds can adjust to fire and pyrotechnics.

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