Bird Strikes - plane crash

[oracleslave]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm

I didn't know birds had the ability to bring planes down these days. Surely there must be some way of preventing this?

[PM-Junkie]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm

I didn't know birds had the ability to bring planes down these days. Surely there must be some way of preventing this?

Not something I know much about, but I thought the same as you. Don't they do a thing they call a "chicken test" on engines to make sure they can cope with something hitting it?

[Cyberman]

Normally airports have bird-scarers. Flocks of birds are disastrous to jet engines and vice-versa.

[Cyberman]

Not something I know much about, but I thought the same as you. Don't they do a thing they call a "chicken test" on engines to make sure they can cope with something hitting it?

Just goes to show that there are limitations with MBAs !!

[oracleslave]

Not something I know much about, but I thought the same as you. Don't they do a thing they call a "chicken test" on engines to make sure they can cope with something hitting it?

Have heard various forms of the chicken test but have never been sure how much truth was in it.

[BolshieBastard]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm

I didn't know birds had the ability to bring planes down these days. Surely there must be some way of preventing this?

The bird strikes took two engines out at take off ie when the plane is verging between stalling and flying.

[NickFitz]

It's not really possible to ensure that an engine can remain operational after a bird strike. The requirement is that the engine can be shut down safely after a 4lb bird strike.

Assuming a bird weighing 4lb, hit at 170mph (the A320's takeoff speed), the forces involved are so high that it isn't really practicable to make all the engine components strong enough to survive the impact and remain operational.

In this case, it seems they were unlucky enough to have both engines suffer a strike. And if they hit a flock of geese or something, the birds would weigh a fair bit more than 4lb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Strike#Vehicle_design

[PM-Junkie]

It's not really possible to ensure that an engine can remain operational after a bird strike. The requirement is that the engine can be shut down safely after a 4lb bird strike.

Assuming a bird weighing 4lb, hit at 170mph (the A320's takeoff speed), the forces involved are so high that it isn't really practicable to make all the engine components strong enough to survive the impact and remain operational.

In this case, it seems they were unlucky enough to have both engines suffer a strike. And if they hit a flock of geese or something, the birds would weigh a fair bit more than 4lb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Strike#Vehicle_design

Thanks - interesting stuff. Perhaps I was better off being ignorant though...I'll be that much more nervous next time I fly!

[zara_backdog]

Not something I know much about, but I thought the same as you. Don't they do a thing they call a "chicken test" on engines to make sure they can cope with something hitting it?

They use ' frozen chickens' in a test rig - there is one set up at RR in Derby. Mr ZB works in the aerospace industry

[backlight]

Bird strikes are serious - they can shatter the fan blades which are then ingested into the compressor reducing pressure to the combustor, then it's game over..