IBSC news

6 July 2007	Cessna 150	Woodland, California USA	2 on board, nil fatalities
Shortly after take off on a student training flight a ‘hawk’ came through the windshield causing minor injuries. The drag prevented the aircraft from maintainging level flight resulting in a forced landing in a field. The aircraft overturned in the soft ground and was damaged such as to be a write off.

4 Feb 2007	Cessna 152	Nadergul, India	2 on board, nil fatalities
Whilst returning to the airfield an ‘eagle’ struck the windshield smashing it and causing the aircraft to ‘spin out of control’. The aircraft crash landed in a field, the student suffering a deep cut on her forehead. The aircraft was very badly damaged in the forced landing. It was the first case of this sort to the fleet in a decade of operation.

2 Oct 2006	Piper PA32 Saratoga	Pinheiros, NE Brazil	3 on board, 3 killed
As the aircraft was approaching to land after an air taxi flight transporting money for the Brazil Central bank from Maranhao 50 miles away, it collided with a Black vulture, (Coragyps atratus wt 1.7kg). The aircraft crashed in dense forest 100 metres from the airfield killing the 3 occupants. The airfield is near a garbage dump and it is common to have birds swarming around.

1 Oct 2006	Cessna 206 Caravan	Okavango, Botswana	5 on board, nil fatalities
While the Mission Flying Services aircraft was flying at 500 ft agl from Nxabega to Tsigaro it struck a huge vulture which smashed the windshield on the pilot’s side destroying some of the instruments and becoming entangled in the controls. The pilot shoved the bird aside and managed to maintain control but the excessive drag forced the pilot to make an emergency landing in the Okavango swamp. The aircraft overturned, all on board escaped with minor injuries. All FMS aircraft are fitted with 4-point seat belts for pilots and passengers thus minimising injuries. (a photo was on the Internet but the bird identity was not given, anyone know?)

21 Oct 2007		en route UK
Nocturnal birdstrike with a song thrush (c.73 g) British Mediterranean (BMed), A320, struck en route in the UK on 21 Oct 2007. Images by agreement with CAA

Information compiled by John Thorpe 29/7/07