Latest news with #Flight1549
New York Post
7 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
These die-hard New Yorkers dedicate their lives to showing tourists the best of the Big Apple — and they have no plans to stop
All aboard! These die-hard New Yorkers have spent decades doing what most would find unthinkable — showing tourists the sights of the Big Apple. This year, Circle Line Cruises celebrates 80 years of sailing around Manhattan. Many of the workers have been boarding the boats for nearly that long — and they wouldn't trade their jobs for anything. Advertisement 28 'Our route showcases the greatest city in the world,' a proud Captain Kenneth Corcoran (above) told The Post. Tamara Beckwith 28 The sightseeing company offers several cruises from Pier 83 on Manhattan's west side and Pier 16 at South Street Seaport. Tamara Beckwith 'The city is just electric. It's just exciting,' Captain Kenneth Corcoran recently told The Post about cruising through his career. 'And you feel that energy from the passengers that come aboard, too. It doesn't get boring at all.' Advertisement It's not a tourist trap: it's a family business. Corcoran — aka Captain Kenny — as well as Senior Deckhand Richard 'Richie' Redmond, Captain Joe Volini (Captain Joe), Tour Guide Chris Mason and Senior Port Captain Mike Duffy (Captain Duffy) have all grown up on the boats. They began by visiting their dads, uncles, cousins and brothers on the job, then worked alongside them and eventually moved up the ranks to run the operation. 28 Over the years, the cruise line — shown circa 1965 — has become known as the city's top boating company, hosting over 80 million passengers on cruises around Manhattan. Getty Images Advertisement 28 The company has become a family business for many with generations of men working alongside their fathers, uncles, brothers and cousins. Shown above is Mark Bodal, then 8, who was honored by Captain Pat Patten as the 40 millionth passenger on the Circle Line on May 23, 1988. New York Post 28 The boats have also come to the rescue on countless occasions, including Sept. 11, 2001. AP Circle Line Cruises is more than just a boat tour — with crews helping to shuttle thousands of people to safety during 9/11, as well as bringing police and firefighters to downed US Airways Flight 1549 during the 2009 'Miracle on the Hudson.' But whether they're taking in the same skyline for decades or helping a city in need, these seafarers insist it's always a special trip. Advertisement 'Our route showcases the greatest city in the world,' a proud Corcoran said. Captain Kenneth Corcoran, 62 28 Captain Kenneth Corcoran (left) was recommended for the job by his uncle and godfather, Kevin Reynolds (right). Courtesy Circle Line Kenneth Corcoran's uncle Maurice started with Circle Line in 1956 after emigrating from Ireland and securing jobs for his two brothers and nine nephews. Corcoran was recommended for the job by his uncle and godfather, Kevin Reynolds — making it 10 cousins in total. In May 1983, at age 19, the younger Corcoran began as a pier hand and worked up to captain in 1992 when he was 29 years old. He's the last family member still with Circle Line, which he calls 'Broadway on the Hudson' for its 'magical' scenes from the Statue of Liberty and iconic skyline to views of the Brooklyn Bridge. 'We're showing off the city,' he said, 'and the city sells itself.' 28 Corcoran started as a pier hand and worked up to captain in 1992 when he was 29 years old. Tamara Beckwith 28 The captain calls it 'Broadway on the Hudson' for its 'magical' scenes from the Statue of Liberty and iconic skyline. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Advertisement He also recalls many 'special moments' onboard, like marriage proposals, anniversaries and renewed wedding vows. Corcoran reminisced about a time he photographed a couple — who originally met on a cruise — celebrating their 25th anniversary. That same duo was back to celebrate their 50th and Corcoran was once again there to photograph their milestone. 'Meeting all these people from all over the world, that's why I continue working here,' he said. 28 A Circle Line ship sits dockside in August 1971. The company has been in business for 80 years. New York Post Advertisement But one of his favorite moments is 'the focal point of every trip' — the Statue of Liberty, an especially emotional view for him. 'That's the first sight my mom had seen when she came to this country as an immigrant [from Leitrim, Ireland, by ship],' Corcoran shared, 'so it means that much more to me.' Senior Deckhand Richard 'Richie' Redmond, 64 28 Richard 'Richie' Redmond has worked for Circle Line for nearly 50 years. Tamara Beckwith Advertisement Richard Redmond has worked for Circle Line for 46 years. He confessed to The Post that when he applied for the job, he told them he was 18, not 17. 'Eh, they can't fire me,' he said with a laugh. Redmond was trained by his father, Richard Sr., a senior Circle Line deckhand, and commuted with him every morning on the 1 train from their home in the Bronx. 'He really taught me a lot: how to do things and respect people,' Redmond noted. Advertisement 28 The ashes of Redmond's father were spread by the Statue of Liberty. Paul Martinka His father was with the boat line until the end; he died from a heart attack in his car in the pier parking lot about 30 years ago. He was 55 years old. 'I tell people I see my father every day because his ashes are in the water at the Statue of Liberty,' he said, before joking, 'I tell people I run him over every day.' Stepping into his dad's shoes, Redmond warmly greets every guest, including celebrities, like George Clooney, Jane Fonda, Michelle Pfeiffer and former Speaker of the House Thomas P. 'Tip' O'Neill Jr. Redmond was also working on the morning of Jan. 15, 2009, when the 'Miracle on the Hudson' jet hit a flock of geese and lost power, forcing pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger to famously land on the river. 28 The Circle Line crew stepped in to help on the morning of Jan. 15, 2009, when the 'Miracle on the Hudson' jet hit a flock of geese and lost power, before landing on the river. AP From the pier, Redmond looked out onto the water and saw people crowded on the downed jet's wings. 'It looked like they were waiting for a New York City bus to come and pick them up,' he marveled. Senior Port Captain Mike Duffy, 69 28 Mike Duffy started as a ticket seller (above) at age 18, right out of high school on June 1, 1974. Mike Duffy — who started as a ticket seller at age 18, right out of high school in 1974 — had been promoted to senior port captain only a few weeks prior when he helped coordinate the spectacular Hudson River rescue. Duffy and Redmond took firemen, police, EMTs and divers to the plane, and the boat's main deck was used for medical triage, staying with the aircraft for about three hours. Later, the crew received handwritten thank-you letters from Captain Sully. 'Every day is an adventure,' Duffy, whose father also was a captain, told The Post. 'You don't know what's around the corner.' 28 Mike Duffy's father, John Duffy (above) — who was also a Circle Line Cruise captain — told his son he'd have to give him all the 'crappy' jobs if they worked together. 28 The father and son duo would visit each other at work to sail together, as seen in this undated photo. 28 As senior port captain, Duffy now serves as the top dog. Tamara Beckwith In 1980, at age 22, Duffy became a captain himself and now manages the operation, with plans to stick around for another nine years and retire after a solid 60 years on the job. 'If you enjoy working, you never work a day in your life. And that's why it was easy to be here for 51 years,' Duffy said. Captain Joe Volini, 55 28 Joe Volini (left) worked on the boats alongside his dad, Joseph Volini Sr., and an uncle, cousins and his twin brother (right), who all worked on the boats at some point. Casey Collette Joe Volini has spent nearly his whole life on Circle Line Cruises, and his father Joseph Volini Sr., uncle, cousins and brother all worked on the boats at some point. Now, he's the last one onboard. 'My father used to tell everybody, 'He's going to be here one day, and he'll be the captain,'' said Volini, who has been with Circle Line Cruises for 38 years — 26 of those commanding the bridge. 28 Following in his father's steps, Joe Volini became a captain 26 years ago. Tamara Beckwith 28 'My father used to tell everybody, 'He's going to be here one day, and he'll be the captain,'' said Volini, shown on board one of the boats. Tamara Beckwith Volini joked to The Post that his job is just a lot of staring — which came in handy when he was working on Sept. 11, 2001, and saw billowing smoke. He watched as the second plane crashed into the South Tower. He remembers watching as crowds rushed to the water's edge, trying to escape the horrific scene. The crew boarded them and headed across the Hudson River to New Jersey. He commanded several trips, and in the end, Circle Line Cruises alone carried about 40,000 to 50,000 people to safety, according to Violini. 28 Circle Line Cruises alone carried about 40,000 to 50,000 people to safety on Sept. 11, 2001, according to Violini. AP 28 The seasoned captain watched as the second plane crashed into the South Tower before springing into action. Tamara Beckwith It was just another reminder of how supportive the New York community can be. 'Every boat came to the shore to help out,' Voilini recalled. Tour Guide Chris Mason, 62 28 Chris Mason is shown with his father, Jason, who started at Circle Line in 1962. Brooklyn-born Chris Mason — whose father Jason began as a tour guide in 1962, one year before he was born — has fond memories of visiting his dad as a kid. 'I just fell in love with it, working on the water, watching him do his performance … I was amazed at how he held the audience in the palm of his hand,' Mason told The Post. 'It really left an incredible impression upon me. I was so proud of him.' Like the others, Mason has a favorite view. Besides Yankee Stadium, he loves Hudson Yards — a tourist location many locals groan about. 28 'I just fell in love with it, working on the water, watching him do his performance … I was amazed at how he held the audience in the palm of his hand,' Mason told The Post. Tamara Beckwith 28 A group of children share their patriotism during a 1991 Circle Line tour. New York Post 'There's a point in the trip where you can look through the new buildings of the Hudson Yards, and you can capture the Empire State Building right in between,' he noted. 'So it's a great contrast of the old and the new. I love that part of the trip. This year, Mason is celebrating 40 years as a tour guide, but he got his first job there in 1979 at age 16, answering phones and helping in any way he could. He's become especially nostalgic since his father died last year — who 'would do the job even if they didn't pay him,' Mason said. His father retired only two years ago at age 90 after about 60 years with Circle Line. 28 Mason, marking his 40th year as a tour guide, has become especially nostalgic since his father died last year. Tamara Beckwith 'He was so emotional,' Mason said of his combined retirement and birthday party. 'It was one of the highlights of his life. He loved working here [and] working with the crews as I do. 'He brought me to tears when he said he was so proud of me.' Deckhand Latisha Conover, 33 28 Latisha Conover is part of the new generation of Circle Line employees and hopes to be with the company as long as her co-workers have been. Tamara Beckwith She'd been on a cruise once as a child, but deckhand Latisha Conover — one of only two female Circle Line employees, including Kamika Lovely — had never considered a waterbound career. The New Jersey native started with Circle Line in 2018 — and now couldn't imagine setting sail anywhere else. 'I love it. I always wanted to be on the water as a kid, and now I'm here,' she told The Post. Conover considers it 'calming and very peaceful' — quite the opposite of how other New Yorkers would probably describe their jobs. 'It's different every day out in the water. The energy, the people, the views,' she said. 'And I love meeting new people, different personalities, from all around the world.' 28 Passengers prepared to board a Circle Line sightseeing boat in the 1950s. ClassicStock 28 'It's different every day out in the water. The energy, the people, the views,' Conover told The Post. Above, tourists sail along the Hudson River in 2021. Getty Images The people are really what keep her coming back, especially 'just seeing the excitement on their faces, making sure that I do my job and protecting them,' Conover told The Post.. 'It never gets boring here,' she added. 'I definitely plan on being here for a very long time.'
The Star
14-06-2025
- General
- The Star
‘Bird strike a possible cause'
The tail of the airplane is seen stuck in a building at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Investigators will need to understand the nature of a mayday transmission from an Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, but a possible cause could be a bird strike, preventing the plane from achieving the optimum speed for take-off, aviation experts said. Aviation professional Hemanth DP said that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had a spotless record. 'If a plane of this calibre and size has to crash at such a low height of about 600 feet (183m) minutes after take-off, it must have been a catastrophic failure,' said Hemanth, chief executive officer of Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy in Hyderabad. Air India Flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, was heading to London Gatwick Airport when it crashed shortly after take-off. Hemanth said it was too early to tell with certainty what had happened, based on amateur videos of the crash taken from the ground. He said it would take a very large flock of birds, and both engines ingesting the birds simultaneously, to bring the plane down so quickly after take-off. A bird strike is considered one of the most common wildlife hazards in aviation. It tends to happen during take-off, landing, or low-altitude flight, when planes are most likely to encounter birds. Bird strikes can be dangerous, especially if birds are ingested into aircraft's engines or hit critical components such as the windscreen or wings. Over 90% of bird strikes occur at low altitudes during take-off and landing. When a bird strike occurs, pilots may declare a mayday emergency. The Air India pilot made a mayday call before the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation said. A bird strike was believed to be a factor in the crash of a Jeju Air plane in South Korea in late December 2024, which killed 179 people. Feathers and blood were found in both engines. The Boeing 737-800 plane, which departed from Bangkok for Muan county in south-western South Korea, belly-landed and overshot the regional airport's runway, bursting into flames after hitting an embankment. One of the pilots reported a bird strike and declared an emergency shortly before trying to land. In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The plane, an Airbus A320, had flown into a flock of geese, severely damaging both engines. Michael Daniel, managing director of consultancy Aviation Insight, said the nature of the mayday emergency transmission will be crucial information for investigators. Video footage shows the plane's landing gear was down and the flaps retracted. 'This would be counter to normal take-off procedures unless the 'declared' mayday affected the take-off,' said Daniel, who is also a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators. 'Normally, (raising) the gear up is one of the first items to do soon after rotation, in order to gain airspeed.' Rotation refers to the point when the pilot takes off from the surface of the runway, raising the nose of the airplane to fly. While it would be presumptuous at this point to draw any conclusions, he added that the video footage will give some indication of the data to be used in investigations. 'Setting aside the search and rescue efforts, the investigators will need to locate and interpret (what is on) the data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder,' he said. — The Straits Times/ANN
The Irish Sun
13-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
What caused the Air India plane disaster? Six main theories emerge – from mystery over landing gear to 40C weather
WHILE the exact cause of the horrific Air India crash is not yet known, speculation continues to swirl online. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - and 11 children - smashed into a doctors' hostel in the west of India on Thursday. Advertisement 12 A fire officer stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft Credit: Reuters 12 The Air India plane crashed into a medical college campus creating a huge fireball Credit: x/nchorAnandN 12 The plane's tail can be seen sticking out of a building following the crash Credit: AP 12 People sift through the debris of Air India flight AI171 as they search for survivors Credit: Alamy The plane was heading to London Gatwick when it . One of Flight AI171's two "black boxes" has reportedly been recovered - which should provide crucial evidence on the fatal five minutes between the plane's takeoff and impact. Follow our live blog The black box will provide technical information on details like time, airspeed, altitude and hearing. Advertisement Read more on World News And the cockpit voice recorder may also offer vital clues such as any conversation between the two pilots, any engine noises or bangs, stall warnings or sounds of other equipment. The crash killed at least 265 people - including those on board and locals on the ground. As crash investigators begin to pour over that data, The Sun looks at six main theories as potential causes for India's worst ever aviation disaster. Bird strikes 12 Aviation experts believe the aircraft's engines could have been struck by birds Credit: X Advertisement A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet's General Electric engines. Most read in The Sun Exclusive Latest Exclusive While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples. Most famous was US Airways Flight 1549, which suffered double engine failure in 2009 after being hit by a flock of Canada geese shortly after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. The plane, captained by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson river - earning the tagline the "Miracle on the Hudson" since there were zero casualities. Advertisement Ahmedabad Airport is known to have a large avian population - a study in 2018 found the airport has 'a high potential of bird-aircraft collision hazards'. Captain C S Randhawa, who has flown a Boeing 777 for 15 years, and was the former Deputy Chief Flight Inspector, Operations, at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said a bird strike was "the most probable' cause of the crash. "Both Ahmedabad and Agra airports are full of birds. Incidents of aircraft being hit by birds keep happening on and off," he told The New Indian Express. Aviation safety consultant and instructor Captain Mohan Ranganathan told the same publication: "Bird hit appears to be the reason as of now. Advertisement "Ahmedabad airport has a history of a huge bird population. I flagged this issue 17 years ago and have written extensively about it too." Brit survivor WALKS AWAY unscathed from Air India plane crash after jumping from flaming jet Captain Ranganathan claims that the birds are drawn to the slaughterhouses near the airport He added: 'The reason for such a huge presence is due to slaughterhouses in the vicinity of airports which should never have been allowed. "They are never relocated by the authorities because they are owned by politicians or their relatives.' Advertisement In January 2021, an identical plane to the one involved in Thursday's crash aborted a take-off in Mexico after birds flew into one of its engines. Wing Flap Position 12 CCTV footage shows the doomed Air India Dreamliner taking off in Ahmedabad Credit: ViralPress Aviation experts have suggested that the position of the aircraft's wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster. Video evidence suggests the flaps were fully retracted, which would have provided minimal lift. Advertisement The aircraft's landing gear also remained deployed throughout which would have increased potentially fatal drag. One theory is that the landing gear was stuck and pilots retracted the flaps to reduce drag or that the flaps were faulty and caused the plane to stall. Aviation expert Terry Tozer, author of Confessions of an Airline Pilot, told the BBC: "It's very hard to say from the video for sure, it doesn't look as if the flaps are extended and that would be a perfectly obvious explanation for an aircraft not completing its take-off correctly." Marco Chan, a former pilot and a senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University, said: "That would point to potential human error if flaps aren't set correctly, but the resolution of the video is too low to confirm that." Advertisement Pilot error 12 The plane's captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of flying experience The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions - but human error cannot be ruled out. Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 1,000 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 8,000 hours - making him one of Air India's most experienced pilots. Sabharwa was also a trained instructor, meaning he had a deep understanding of flying protocol. Advertisement Estimates suggest the amount of runway utilised by the pilots was less than 2,000 metres - when a full plane on a hot day usually needs a run of 2,500 metres. Additionally, since the wing flaps are also set by the pilots before takeoff, with multiple checklists and procedures in place to ensure that they are positioned correctly, that could also be another source of human error. Heat 12 Smoke billows from the crash site, with temperatures hitting 40C on the day Credit: X Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day. Advertisement Flight AI171 took off in sweltering 40°C heat in the early afternoon sunshine. The plane may have struggled to gain lift if it took off after a short runway take-off. In his emergency mayday call, co-pilot Clive Kundar says "No thrust, losing power, unable to lift." Technical Error 12 One of Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners taking off at London Heathrow Airport Credit: Alamy Advertisement Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out. The jet's complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed. The Dreamliner has a spotless safety record - this is the first time the model has crashed since its introduction in 2011. However, airlines using the Boeing plane have reported numerous issues with the engines, including a mid-air dive on a LATAM Airlines flight last yeear. Advertisement During hearings in Washington last year, a former Boeing engineer turned whistleblower urged the aerospace giant to ground all Dreamliners. However, the aircraft manufacturer rejected the claims and said it had full confidence in the 787. Overloading 12 People online have also speculated that the plane may have been over burdened Credit: Ray Collins The aircraft could also have been too heavy to take-off. Advertisement Danger of overloading could be increased - again - by adverse wather conditions caused by extreme heat. But the weight of aircraft is usually carefully checked ahead of take-off and the theory is thought unlikely. 12 Securit personnel guard the crash site as night falls Credit: Reuters 12 Security personnel stand next to the wreckage of a part of the Air India aircraft Credit: Reuters Advertisement
The Star
13-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Air India crash: Bird strike a possible cause as mayday call being probed
Air India Flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, was heading to London Gatwick Airport when it crashed shortly after take-off. - Reuters BENGALURU/SINGAPORE: Investigators will need to understand the nature of a mayday transmission from an Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, but a possible cause could be a bird strike, preventing the plane from achieving the optimum speed for take-off, aviation experts said. Aviation professional Hemanth DP told The Straits Times that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had a spotless record. 'If a plane of this calibre and size has to crash at such a low height of about 600 feet (183m) minutes after take-off, it must have been a catastrophic failure,' said Hemanth, chief executive officer of Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy in Hyderabad. Air India Flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, was heading to London Gatwick Airport when it crashed shortly after take-off. More than 290 people are known to have died, including those on the ground. There is at least one survivor from the plane. Hemanth said it was too early to tell with certainty what had happened, based on amateur videos of the crash taken from the ground. He said it would take a very large flock of birds, and both engines ingesting the birds simultaneously, to bring the plane down so quickly after take-off. A bird strike is considered one of the most common wildlife hazards in aviation. It tends to happen during take-off, landing, or low-altitude flight, when planes are most likely to encounter birds. Bird strikes can be dangerous, especially if birds are ingested into aircraft's engines or hit critical components such as the windscreen or wings. Over 90 per cent of bird strikes occur at low altitudes during take-off and landing. When a bird strike occurs, pilots may declare a mayday emergency. The Air India pilot made a mayday call before the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation said. A bird strike was believed to be a factor in the crash of a Jeju Air plane in South Korea in late December 2024, which killed 179 people. Feathers and blood were found in both engines. The Boeing 737-800 plane, which departed from Bangkok for Muan county in south-western South Korea, belly-landed and overshot the regional airport's runway, bursting into flames after hitting an embankment. One of the pilots reported a bird strike and declared an emergency shortly before trying to land. In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The plane, an Airbus A320, had flown into a flock of geese, severely damaging both engines. Michael Daniel, managing director of consultancy Aviation Insight, said the nature of the mayday emergency transmission will be crucial information for investigators. Video footage shows the plane's landing gear was down and the flaps retracted, he told ST. 'This would be counter to normal take-off procedures unless the 'declared' mayday affected the take-off,' said Daniel, who is also a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators. 'Normally, (raising) the gear up is one of the first items to do soon after rotation, in order to gain airspeed.' Rotation refers to the point when the pilot takes off from the surface of the runway, raising the nose of the airplane to fly. While it would be presumptuous at this point to draw any conclusions, he added that the video footage will give some indication of the data to be used in investigations. 'Setting aside the search and rescue efforts, the investigators will need to locate and interpret (what is on) the data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder,' he said. - The Straits Times/ANN
News18
12-06-2025
- General
- News18
Did A Bird Hit Lead To Air India Crash In Ahmedabad? Explaining SOP For Pilots, Previous Tragedies
Last Updated: A bird hit usually happens during takeoff, landing, or low-altitude flight when planes are most likely to encounter birds The London-bound Air India flight that crashed just after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport, killing at least 170 passengers of the 242 on board, could have fallen prey to a bird hit which prevented it from achieving the optimum speed for take-off, aviation experts have said. Experts quoted by several media outlets said the aircraft's take-off seemed smooth but multiple bird hits may have caused both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to lose power. They also pointed to the residential area nearby and said the presence of birds could have hampered the aircraft's operations. WHAT IS A BIRD HIT? A bird hit (also known as a bird strike) is a collision between a bird and an aircraft. This usually happens during takeoff, landing, or low-altitude flight when planes are most likely to encounter birds. Bird strikes can be dangerous, especially if birds are ingested into the aircraft's engines or hit critical components like the windshield or wings. WHAT HAPPENS IF A BIRD HITS AN AIRCRAFT? Bird strikes are fairly frequent and are considered one of the most common wildlife hazards in aviation. If a bird is sucked into a jet engine, it can damage the fan blades, cause engine failure, or in rare cases, lead to a crash. Bird hits can damage engines, wings, nose cones, windshields, or other critical systems. If a bird or multiple birds are ingested into the engine, it can damage or bend fan blades, cause vibration and loss of thrust, and lead to engine failure or engine fire. In case of a windshield, a high-speed bird hit can crack or shatter the windshield, injure or distract the pilots, reduce visibility and increase cabin pressure risk. If birds hit the wings or fuselage can, they can dent or tear the metal skin, disrupt aerodynamics, and damage sensors or flaps. Most bird strikes (over 90 per cent) occur at low altitudes during takeoff and landing (0–3,000 feet). Bird strikes are most common around airports where birds are attracted by food sources, water bodies, or open fields. When a bird strike occurs, pilots may declare a Mayday or Pan-Pan emergency, return to the airport for an emergency landing, shut down an affected engine and follow emergency checklists, or rely on systems like autopilot or backup power. The Air India pilot is said to have made a Mayday call but there was no response from the flight when the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tried to contact them back. US Airways Flight 1549 – 'Miracle on the Hudson" (2009) Shortly after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, the Airbus A320 struck a flock of Canada geese, causing both engines to fail. The pilot, Chesley 'Sully" Sullenberger, safely ditched the plane on the Hudson River. All 155 people on board survived with only minor injuries. The incident is considered a textbook example of successful emergency response. Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 (1972) A Lockheed L-188 Electra encountered a flock of starlings on takeoff from Boston Logan Airport; multiple birds were ingested into the engines. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 62 of the 72 people on board. Birgenair Flight 301 (1996) During takeoff from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, the Boeing 757 ingested birds into the engines. The aircraft crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff and all 189 people on board perished. IndiGo Flight in Ranchi (May 2025) On May 19, 2025, an IndiGo flight (6E-6902) from Patna to Ranchi experienced a bird strike shortly before landing at Birsa Munda Airport. The Airbus A320 sustained damage to its nose but landed safely with all 175 passengers and crew unharmed. The aircraft was grounded for inspection and repairs. First Published: June 12, 2025, 16:52 IST News explainers Did A Bird Hit Lead To Air India Crash In Ahmedabad? Explaining SOP For Pilots, Previous Tragedies
