Bird Strike, Ft Myers-Unreal Video

[John Pleisse]

One of my Florida clients posted this today. The guy is lucky to be alive (ff to 1:39). Great composure.

 

 

http://www.wflafm.com/articles/wtf-news-471312/shock-video-giant-bird-slams-through-12095780/

[ToddDPT]

It looked like the bird ended up in the cockpit.  I wish we could have seen the aftermath a little more to learn what can happen.  They just don't bounce off like when you hit them in your car!  Even though bloodied, definitely composed

[Alan Fox]

I don't think we have the option in our Mooneys , But my Beech has a windshield that is 1/2 inch thick....That pipers glass just popped like it was a toy.....

[BigTex]

I dodge buzzards on almost every takeoff.  I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

[fantom]

Made the national news....

 

http://www.news-press.com/article/20140224/NEWS0110/302240024/Page-Field-approach-becomes-emergency-bird-strikes-aircraft

 

NOT a timid pilot! He kept his cool and make a fine landing.

[bnicolette]

It looked like the bird ended up in the cockpit.  I wish we could have seen the aftermath a little more to learn what can happen.  They just don't bounce off like when you hit them in your car!  Even though bloodied, definitely composed

 

This is what happens when a bird hits a Mooney

 

It ain't pretty.

 

That guy in the video did an awesome job.  Kudos to him and I hope he's okay.

[chrisk]

Yes, we have a choice with the windscreen.  0.187 or 0.250.  I went with the 0.250, but I'm not sure it would make a difference if I hit a buzzard.

[bnicolette]

Yes, we have a choice with the windscreen.  0.187 or 0.250.  I went with the 0.250, but I'm not sure it would make a difference if I hit a buzzard.

 

I did the same thing when I replaced the windscreen.  Have to have better odds than with the .187.

[mikesalman]

It looked like the bird hit the top left part of the windscreen and bounced off after shattering the glass. Man that pilot gets two thumbs up from me. Great job keeping your cool and flying the plane!!!

[carusoam]

The video hit the late evening news in NJ...

-a-

[scottfromiowa]

A good reason to wear wrap around sunglasses/glasses whether you need them or not...

[bonal]

I dont know what the thickness is on mine but its such a small tight litttle piece of glass and I know the advantages of the one piece glass but i like how mean and old school the 2 piece looks. And if the strike hits dead center it may not get inside. Great job by the pilot. So many times the only GA stories that make the news are when some one dies. Nice to see a happy ending now and then.

[John Pleisse]

It looked like the bird hit the top left part of the windscreen and bounced off after shattering the glass. Man that pilot gets two thumbs up from me. Great job keeping your cool and flying the plane!!!

 

I think this is correct, then the plexiglass cut his face, etc...

[Seth]

I've had three bird strikes - all at night all between 6-8,000 feet.  One in my old aircraft, two in the new one.  All three went through the prop and glanced off the copilot side window and then hit the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer.  Blood streak/smear on the copilot window at slightly greater than 45 degree angle and then similar smearing/debris on the tail.

 

Thank goodness they were small birds.  That was a big one in the video.

 

-Seth

[Joe Zuffoletto]

We have so many Canadian geese here in Denver I'm surprised I've not even had a near miss yet. A few weeks ago, the morning of the AFC Championship, there were tons of jet arrivals at KAPA for the game. As I was leaving the airport I saw a giant flock of geese flying right into the approach path of a Falcon jet. Thankfully they saw the jet at the last minute and the geese diverted. But that could have been real ugly.

[ToddDPT]

CFII friend of mine said on a training session in a C152 he had a large bird strike that took out the entire windscreen.  They had to put the plane down in a field because the 152 didn't have enough power to maintain level flight at safe airspeeds.  I guess that would create quite a bit of drag.

[phecksel]

Somebody have the picture of the goose buried in the vertical stab?

[1964-M20E]

At my home field another pilot in a 182 had a bird strike on the right wing about where the strut attaches to the wing.  When he slowed to make his landing at the airport he almost lost it in the trees.  The deformation in the wing caused enough disruption of the air flow that the plane executed an un-commanded right turn.   He regained control he diverted to the big airport where he could land fast and maintain control.