ATR 72 turboprop design and bird strike certification explained
The ATR 72's propellers are exposed to bird impacts, and the type's protection rests on certification requirements rather than on avoiding strikes, with the aircraft covered by EASA's CS-25 framework.
The ATR 72's two large propellers are one of its most recognizable features. They also present an engineering problem when the aircraft meets a bird. A turboprop does not escape a bird strike because its propellers sit ahead of the engine. The blades take impacts, and the nacelle, spinner, windshield, wings and other forward-facing structures stay exposed.
What keeps the aircraft safe is not immunity to birds. It is a certification framework built to stop a defined impact from turning into a catastrophic event. The ATR 72 falls under EASA's CS-25 certification framework, and the EASA type certificate lists the family as a CS-25 aircraft.
Sources
- simpleflying.comHow The ATR 72's Turboprop Incredible Design Handles The Risk Of Bird Strikes