Aircraft Wildlife & Bird Strikes

The FAA National Wildlife Strike Database records 347,575 reported strikes between aircraft and wildlife from 1990 to 2026, of which 22,025 caused damage.

Airports with the most strikes

• DENVER INTL AIRPORT: 11,634
• DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTL ARPT: 8,992
• CHICAGO O'HARE INTL ARPT: 7,331
• JOHN F KENNEDY INTL: 6,705
• MEMPHIS INTL: 5,518
• SALT LAKE CITY INTL: 4,391
• HARTSFIELD - JACKSON ATLANTA INTL ARPT: 4,351
• SACRAMENTO INTL: 4,334
• DETROIT METRO WAYNE COUNTY ARPT: 4,322
• ORLANDO INTL: 4,302
• CHARLOTTE/DOUGLAS INTL ARPT: 3,782
• GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL/ HOUSTON ARPT: 3,774

Species struck most often

• Mourning dove: 18,143
• Barn swallow: 11,740
• Killdeer: 11,503
• American kestrel: 10,575
• Horned lark: 10,050
• Gulls: 7,694
• European starling: 7,017
• Eastern meadowlark: 5,348
• Rock pigeon: 4,807
• Red-tailed hawk: 4,579
• Sparrows: 4,415
• Cliff swallow: 3,690

By year

• 2026: 4,010 (216 damaging)
• 2025: 24,458 (901 damaging)
• 2024: 22,371 (823 damaging)
• 2023: 19,625 (721 damaging)
• 2022: 17,223 (702 damaging)
• 2021: 15,641 (667 damaging)
• 2020: 11,625 (493 damaging)
• 2019: 17,348 (765 damaging)
• 2018: 16,206 (725 damaging)
• 2017: 14,756 (681 damaging)
• 2016: 13,378 (598 damaging)
• 2015: 13,777 (624 damaging)
• 2014: 13,690 (592 damaging)
• 2013: 11,406 (616 damaging)
• 2012: 10,937 (627 damaging)
• 2011: 10,112 (547 damaging)
• 2010: 9,901 (604 damaging)
• 2009: 9,509 (608 damaging)
• 2008: 7,639 (527 damaging)
• 2007: 7,750 (568 damaging)
• 2006: 7,294 (603 damaging)
• 2005: 7,273 (609 damaging)
• 2004: 6,612 (631 damaging)
• 2003: 5,992 (630 damaging)
• 2002: 6,223 (670 damaging)
• 2001: 5,828 (649 damaging)
• 2000: 6,028 (765 damaging)
• 1999: 5,118 (705 damaging)
• 1998: 3,808 (587 damaging)
• 1997: 3,560 (575 damaging)
• 1996: 3,031 (503 damaging)
• 1995: 2,827 (500 damaging)
• 1994: 2,707 (459 damaging)
• 1993: 2,625 (399 damaging)
• 1992: 2,652 (364 damaging)
• 1991: 2,515 (400 damaging)
• 1990: 2,120 (371 damaging)

Notable strikes

• 2009-01-04 · SIKORSKY S-76 · Red-tailed hawk · Destroyed · 8 fatal
  ID BY SMITHSONIAN, FAA 3015. DNA MATCH. A/C CRASHED IN A MARSH NEAR MORGAN CITY, LA. NTSB INVESTIGATED. BOTH PILOTS AND SIX OF SEVEN PASSENGERS ON BOARD WERE KILLED. ONE PERSON WAS CRITICALY INJURED. A/C DEPTD LAKE PALOURDE BASE HELIPORT IN AMELIA, LA EN ROUTE TO SOUTH TIMBALIER OIL PLATFORM. DEPTR AS 1402. SATELLITE TRACKING SUDDENLY ENDED ABOUT 7 MINS LATER AT 1409. SEARCH AND RESCUE WAS INITIATED AT 1414 AFTER USAF NOTIFIED PHI AND USCG OF A DISTRESS SIGNAL. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, PARTIALLY SUBMERGED AND EXHIBITED VERY LITTLE MAIN ROTOR BLADE DMG. APHIS WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS ASSISTED THE NTSB TEAM IN COLLECTING BIOLOGICAL DNA AND FEATHER SAMPLES FROM THE WINDSHIELD WHICH WAS SENT TO THE SMITHSONIAN FEATHER ID LAB. THE WINDSHLD HAS SEVERAL RING-SHAPED FRACTURES. ANALYSIS OF THE SOUNDS ON THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER REVEAL A SUDDEN LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY AN INTENSE RUSH OF WIND. THE BOARD SAID ONE SECOND LATER, POWER FROM BOTH OF THE ENGINES SIMULTANEOUSLY DROPPED TO ALMOST NOTHING. PROBABLY CAUSE WAS SUDDEN LOST OFF POWER TO BOTH ENGS WHICH RESULTED FROM IMPACT WITH BIRD WHICH FRACTURED THE WINDSHLD AND INTERFERRED WITH ENG FUEL CONTROLS AND SUBSEQUENT DISORIENTATI
• 2008-03-04 · C-500 · American white pelican · Destroyed · 5 fatal
  ID BY SMITHSONIAN, FAA 2359. 100% DNA MATCH SAMPLE D, 99.63% DNA MATCH SAMPLE C AND NO DNA IN SAMPLES A & B. RESIDUE FROM THE RT HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS COLLECTED AND SENT TO THE SMITHSONIAN. (DATA ENTRY NOTE: # SEEN NOT REPTD, JUST FLOCK OF BIRDS ASSUME 2-10). AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL SHORTLY AFTER T/O. PILOT, CO/PILOT AND 3 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AND IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. (DATA ENTRY NOTE: ALT WAS REPORTED AS 3100 FEET BUT DID NOT SPECIFY MSL OR AGL).Database Note: 6.9.21 Changed distance from 4 to 3 miles per email from RD. “NTSB/AAR-09/05 PB2009-910405. Aircraft crash site was ~ 4 NM from airport but the bird strike happened over Lake Overholser at about 3 NM from airport (dead pelicans were observed in water).”
• 2016-04-20 · C-172 · Bald eagle · Destroyed · 4 fatal
  Possible bird snarge recovered from tail structure following the accident. The included feather was located in a small sampling near the initial impact point through the trees and first pieces of debris.ID by Smithsonian, Division of Birds. Final NTSB ID: ANC16FA019. Height reported as 800-1000 AGL, took average of 900. Speed reported as 100kts est. Species Ided by Smithsonian from feather barbules removed from tail section and a whole feather on the ground. Immature Bald Eagle.
• 2018-07-13 · C-172 · American white pelican · Destroyed · 3 fatal
  NTSB Accident Number: WPR18FA195 FINAL. OPERATOR/OWNER MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE ABOVE REFERENCED NTSB REPORT: Maneuvering Birdstrike (Defining event) Maneuvering Loss of control in flight Maneuvering Part(s) separation from AC The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: An in-flight breakup as a result of the airplane exceeding the structural strength of the airplane during a rapid descent that the flight instructor was unable to recover from following a collision with a large bird. Radar data indicated that, following departure, the airplane flew about 25 minutes making a series of benign turns. With the airplane maneuvering in a level attitude, configured at 77 kts (ground speed), it suddenly made a sharp 90° right turn and rapidly descended; the last speed recorded was 117 kts. The airplane was in a steep dive as it approached the accident site and just before impact, the outboard wings broke off the airplane about the same time. Post accident examinations revealed no anomalies with the airplane. Flight control system continuity could not be definitively confirmed due to the fragmen
• 2024-01-20 · BELL-206 · Cackling goose · Destroyed · 3 fatal
  MEDICAL TRANSPORT. AIR EVAC EMS INC. NTSB Accident Number: CEN24FA094. FINAL NTSB REPORT. Online report entered by Smithsonian based on paper 5200-7 submitted by NTSB. Remarks based on preliminary NTSB report and Smithsonian report: One goose was imbedded into a control servo. At least 4 carcasses were located in the debris field based on photo in Preliminary report. SEVEN PHOTOS. Smithsonian Wildlife/Species Identification: Cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii), Geese (Anseriformes), Cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) Smithsonian Wildlife Identification Comments: Five snarge samples received from aircraft. Bag 1 (cockpit) identified as Cackling Goose. Bag 2 (engine inlet) no wildlife detected. Bag 3 (tail rotor) identified as goose species based on microstructure. Bag 4 (main rotor) no wildlife detected. Bag 5 (pitch change and leading edge) identified as Cackling Goose. All three samples from the aircraft were molecularly sexed as female. Photos of remains from debris field confirm Cackling Goose. DB note: Remarks provided by R Dolbeer via email 3.4.24 FINAL NTSB NARRATIVE published 3/19/25: Analysis The helicopter was en route back to the crew’s home airfield when it encountered
• 2017-11-19 · BELL-407 · Snow goose · Destroyed · 3 fatal
  two or more bird impacts to helicopter. 3 fatal accident. Snow Goose - 11 bags of remains received from FAA. All equal Snow Goose NTSB accident number CEN18FA033 final report issued 11.5.2018 6.2.26 PER RD add to Remarks: Medical transport. The air ambulance flight was en route to pick up a patient when company satellite tracking was lost at an altitude of about 1,250 ft MSL. The helicopter impacted a reservoir bank; a postimpact fire consumed a majority of fuselage. A postaccident examination of wreckage found multiple bird remains, identified as snow geese
• 1998-03-04 · PA-23 APACHE · Unknown bird - medium · Destroyed · 2 fatal
  NTSB REVISED REPORT IN 2006. CAN T CONFIRM BIRDSTRIKE. WITNESS SAW VERTICAL STABILIZER BEGIN TO OSCILLATE & SEPARATE FROM A/C. PLANE DESCENDED & HIT A MULT FAMILY DWELLING. EXAM OF WRECKAGE REVEALED OUTBD WING PANELS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE A/C BY BEING BENT DOWN. HORIZ STAB HAD SEPARATED IN A HORIZ TWISTING MOTION. AN IMPACT MARK ON L OTBD LE OF HORZ STAB WAS CONSISTENT WITH A SOFT BODIED IMPACT. ALTHOUGH NO EVIDENCE OF BLOOD OR BIRD REMAINS WERE FOUND, 1 WITNESS REPTD SEEING SEVERAL BIRDS FLYING IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. PILOT AND PASSENGER FATAL. OTHER COST REPTD WAS FOR DMG TO BUILDING THAT WAS STRUCK.
• 2017-06-27 · EXPERIMENTAL · Rock pigeon · Destroyed · 2 fatal
  SI ID ONE OF THE FIVE BAGS SUBMITTED FOR ID CONTAINED FEATHERS FROM ROCK PIGEON. NOTE: ASSUME PARTS STRUCK WERE WINDSHIELD AND TAIL BECAUSE FEATHERS FOUND IN COCKPIT AND REMAINS EMBEDDED ON DENT IN RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. ASSUME AT LEAST 2 BIRDS. 2 FATALITIES. NTSB FINAL CASE # WPR17FA134 issued 2.26.2019. From NTSB report (WPR17FA134): Flight Events - Birdstrike Enroute-cruise - Part(s) separation from AC Enroute-cruise - Loss of control in flight; Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The inflight overstress separation of the vertical stabilizer and rudder during flight which resulted in the pilot s inability to maintain airplane control. Contributing to the accident was an inflight collision with a bird.

Strike counts reflect voluntary reporting and traffic volume, not a measure of relative safety. Source: FAA National Wildlife Strike Database — United States Government public domain.

Source: FAA National Wildlife Strike Database · United States Government public domain.