What was supposed to be a smooth flight turned into a nightmare for the passengers of a Hainan Airlines Boeing 787-9. Shortly after takeoff, a collision with a bird caused a serious technical incident, forcing the plane to turn back. A stark reminder of the little-known dangers posed by these seemingly trivial collisions.
When birds threaten air safety
Passengers on the Shenzhen-bound flight had an unexpected experience when their journey was suddenly cut short. This type of incident, while surprising to the general public, remains a major concern in the aviation industry. Experts believe that bird strikes, technically known as bird collisions, are one of the leading causes of in-flight incidents.
A collision between a high-speed aircraft and a low-flying bird can have unexpected consequences. The kinetic energy released during the impact is sometimes sufficient to compromise the integrity of an engine or damage structural elements of the aircraft. In the incident involving the Hainan Airlines Boeing, it was precisely the right engine that suffered the consequences of the impact, necessitating an emergency procedure that included jettisoning fuel before a safe landing in Rome.
The physics behind bird danger
At first glance, it seems unlikely that a bird weighing a few hundred grams could threaten a metal giant weighing several dozen tons. The physical reality, however, is implacable: when a bird is thrown into a turbojet engine, the ultra-rapidly rotating blades can suffer catastrophic damage, even leading to the complete destruction of the engine.
Impacts aren’t limited to the propellers. The cockpit isn’t immune, as tragically demonstrated by the famous “Miracle on the Hudson” incident in 2009, when an Airbus A320 had to make an emergency water landing after losing both engines following a collision with wild geese.
Continue on the next page