Wildlife Airstrike Identification Completed
The Challenge: Although wildlife strikes have been investigated for decades, awareness of the dangers involved with aircraft/wildlife collisions was brought to the attention of the public when US Airways Flight 1549 struck what turned out to be a flock of Canada geese in 2009. Wildlife/aircraft collisions can be hazardous not only to the animal(s) involved, but also to people and costly equipment as well. Identifying the species involved in these collisions is the first step towards minimizing these encounters, saving money and possibly even lives of pilots, crew members and passengers.
The Science: The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) houses the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab where a crew of very specialized scientists work to identify thousands of bird strikes every year from military and civil strikes that occur around the world. When an animal gets hit by an aircraft it almost always leaves behind some evidence - whole dead carcasses, pieces and parts, and sometimes just residual fluids and pieces of feathers, and/or hair. Identifications are made by comparisons with specimen components of known identification, by looking at whole specimens or parts, microscopy of trace evidence, DNA sequencing, and even stable isotope analysis.
The Biological Survey Unit has been assisting the Feather Lab with identifications of mammal remains, usually bats, from wildlife strikes since 1998. These identifications are possible by using the NMNH mammal specimens, the largest research collection of mammals in the world, as reference material. Strike remains can sometimes be positively identified by comparisons with whole specimens, but much more often all that remains from the collision consist of a smear of body fluids containing fragments of hair. Bat hair can be very diagnostic when examined under the microscope, at least for some species. These identifications can be very helpful for assessing conditions around an airfield, or changes in times and locations of flights might help to decrease or prevent these wildlife strikes from occurring.
The Future: Advances in technology have made it easier and less expensive to use techniques such as DNA sequencing, radiocarbon isotope analysis, and Scanning Electron Microscopy to help with identifying wildlife remains from aircraft strikes. New techniques or methods will undoubtedly continue to improve, making these identifications easier, cheaper and more precise.
Below are publications associated with this project.
A decade of U.S. Air Force bat strikes
High-altitude collision between an airplane and a hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus
The use of microscopic hair characters to aid in identification of a bat involved in a damaging aircraft strike
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Challenge: Although wildlife strikes have been investigated for decades, awareness of the dangers involved with aircraft/wildlife collisions was brought to the attention of the public when US Airways Flight 1549 struck what turned out to be a flock of Canada geese in 2009. Wildlife/aircraft collisions can be hazardous not only to the animal(s) involved, but also to people and costly equipment as well. Identifying the species involved in these collisions is the first step towards minimizing these encounters, saving money and possibly even lives of pilots, crew members and passengers.
The Science: The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) houses the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab where a crew of very specialized scientists work to identify thousands of bird strikes every year from military and civil strikes that occur around the world. When an animal gets hit by an aircraft it almost always leaves behind some evidence - whole dead carcasses, pieces and parts, and sometimes just residual fluids and pieces of feathers, and/or hair. Identifications are made by comparisons with specimen components of known identification, by looking at whole specimens or parts, microscopy of trace evidence, DNA sequencing, and even stable isotope analysis.
The Biological Survey Unit has been assisting the Feather Lab with identifications of mammal remains, usually bats, from wildlife strikes since 1998. These identifications are possible by using the NMNH mammal specimens, the largest research collection of mammals in the world, as reference material. Strike remains can sometimes be positively identified by comparisons with whole specimens, but much more often all that remains from the collision consist of a smear of body fluids containing fragments of hair. Bat hair can be very diagnostic when examined under the microscope, at least for some species. These identifications can be very helpful for assessing conditions around an airfield, or changes in times and locations of flights might help to decrease or prevent these wildlife strikes from occurring.
The Future: Advances in technology have made it easier and less expensive to use techniques such as DNA sequencing, radiocarbon isotope analysis, and Scanning Electron Microscopy to help with identifying wildlife remains from aircraft strikes. New techniques or methods will undoubtedly continue to improve, making these identifications easier, cheaper and more precise.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
A decade of U.S. Air Force bat strikes
From 1997 through 2007, 821 bat strikes were reported to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Safety Center by aircraft personnel or ground crew and sent to the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for identification. Many samples were identified by macroscopic and or microscopic comparisons with bat specimens housed in the museum and augmented during the last 2 years by DNA analysis.AuthorsSuzanne C. Peurach, Carla J. Dove, Laura StepkoHigh-altitude collision between an airplane and a hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus
No abstract available.AuthorsS.C. PeurachThe use of microscopic hair characters to aid in identification of a bat involved in a damaging aircraft strike
No abstract available.AuthorsC.J. Dove, S.C. Peurach - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.