WASHINGTON (AP) — Safety officials say reports of helicopter bird strikes are up dramatically in recent years, including incidents that damage the aircraft, injure pilots and create the potential for a crash.
Federal Aviation Administration officials say 204 reported helicopter bird strikes were reported in 2013, a 700 percent increase since the early 2000s.
An FAA safety engineer, Gary Roach, says the increase is due partly to greater awareness among pilots about the importance of reporting strikes and partly to larger bird populations.
Officials say they’re seeing more strikes that leave severe damage.
While helicopters weighing more than 7,000 pounds are covered by safety standards, about 90 percent of the U.S. helicopter fleet weigh less than that amount and aren’t covered.
FAA officials say they want industry’s help to come up with solutions.
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Clearly, the government must exterminate the birds. The alternatives involve unnecessary, burdensome, job-killing regulations and restrictions on doing whatever the hell we want.