Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazards

1. Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazards Donald Teig HQ AFCESA/CEOA

2. US Airways Flight 1549 AP photo 15 January 2009 in the Hudson River

4. Objective Introduce you to basic BASH information so you have an understanding of potential wildlife hazards at your base.

5. Overview • Awareness • Identifying the Problem • Dealing With the Problem • Engineer’s Role • Safety’s Role

6. 72,827 Wildlife Strikes $740,786,928 Damage20 Year Average (86-06) - $35.0M, 3338 Strikes Statistics (1985 – 2006) Count Cost in millions

7. 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%)

8. Statistics (1985 – 2006) Strikes Per Month Spring Migration Fall Migration

9. Strikes By Altitude ≤ 500’ AGL, 64% ≤ 1000’ AGL, 79% ≤ 2000’ AGL, 92% Strikes Altitude – Feet AGL

10. Strikes By Species (Count)

11. Strikes By Species (Cost)

12. BASH Examples Size Doesn’t Always Matter F-16 Target Pod White-Throated Swift

13. BASH Examples Damage to fan blades and canopy

14. BASH Examples Props Don’t Necessarily Stop Engine Ingestions C-130 American Robin $495K Damage

15. BASH Examples Radome Damage

16. BASH Examples Rotary Winged Aircraft Aren’t Immune US Marine Corps Cobra Golden Eagle

17. BASH Examples BASH Isn’t Just For The Birds White-tailed Deer

18. Identifying the Problem • Strike Reporting • Wildlife Identifications • Observations / Surveys • Nighttime Hazards

19. 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

20. AOC FULL EXTENT Areas of Concern Observations / Surveys Plot Potential Trouble Areas (on & off base) directly on a Geographic Information System (GIS) Map

21. 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

22. Dealing with the Problem • Exclude / Mitigate • Harass • Depredate • Avoid

23. Exclude / Mitigate Ecosystem Management • GRASS HEIGHT (7-14 inches) • NO BARE AREAS • ELIMINATE BROAD-LEAF PLANTS • AVOID WEED SEED HEADS

24. Exclude / Mitigate Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) MOW DURING LOW FLYING

25. Exclude / Mitigate Maintain Good Airfield Drainage ELIMINATE STANDING WATER

26. Exclude / Mitigate • DO NOT FEED THE WATERFOWL • FENCE OR GRID SMALL PONDS

27. Exclude / Mitigate Fencing Best Deterrent to Deer

28. Exclude / Mitigate Don’t Give Them a Reason to be There REMOVE PERCHES

29. Exclude / Mitigate Crops Around Your Airfield MANAGE OUTLEASING WISELY - No Grain Crops

30. Harass Harassment Tools

31. Harass Be aware of other activities around the airfield when harassment activities are taking place

32. Depredate Depredation • Use only after other methods have been employed • Permits, Permits, Permits • US Fish & Wildlife Service • State Game Department When all else fails…..

33. Avoid Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) Avian Hazard Advisory System (AHAS) Small Mobile Radar (SMR) Dealing

34. Bird Avoidance Model BAM • Data • Geographic Information System-based • 30+ Years of Top 60 Species • Web Based Dealing

35. Small Mobile Radar Dealing

36. 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)

37. 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

38. 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

39. Safety Responsibilities Bird Hazard Working Group • 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

40. Safety Responsibilities Wildlife Control • 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

41. 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.

42. Other Solutions Vulture roost less than 2 nautical miles from the runway

43. Other Solutions A Taxidermy Mount Of a Dead Vulture

44. DoD BASH POC’s • AIR FORCE: • Mr. Eugene LeBoeuf, DSN 246-5679 eugene.leboeuf@kirtland.af.mil • NAVY: • Mr. Matthew Klope, (360) 257-1468 • matt.klope@navy.mil • ARMY: • Mr. Kevin Walter, (703) 805-3969 • kevin.walter2@us.army.mil

45. 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

46. 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 

47. 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

48. 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/index.html

49. QUESTIONS?