Bird Strike Damages Air Namibia Plane

Namibian ^ | 2016-01-18 | Ndanki Kahiurika

[nickcarraway]

AIR Namibia experienced a bird strike incident on Thursday last week when an A319-100 aircraft was landing at Hosea Kutako International Airport. The airline's spokesperson, Paul Nakawa, confirmed the incident yesterday.

Nakawa explained that a bird strike is considered dangerous in the aviation industry and can cause serious damage to an aircraft.

“Bird strikes are common during landing and taking off of an aicraft because these are the times when the aircraft is flying in the ranges where birds are also flying. Regarding this recent incident, a big bird hit one of our four A319-100 aircraft that services our regional routes just when it was about to land. It left one of the underbody panels of the aircraft damaged,” he said.

Nakawa said the aircraft, which has a capacity of 112 passengers, landed safely and engineers have since been flown in from South Africa to repair the plane.

“Bird strikes are also beyond human power but our pilots do what they can as per the techniques obtained from their thorough training to ensure passengers on board are safe when this happens,” said Nakawa.

He also said the airline apologises profusely to the passengers as the damage to the aircraft has created a shortage of equipment in the scheduled flights. Nakawa said some departure times had to be changed but all measures have been put in place to ensure that all passengers reach their destinations as per confirmed itineraries.

One of the passengers expressed huge relief and gratitude that they all landed safely.

[nickcarraway]

[Gay State Conservative]

Bird strikes can happen anywhere.Just think of “The Miracle On The Hudson”.Also,there's a well known video on youtube of a bird strike on takeoff at a British airport...caused one of the engines to flame out at about 50 feet.The crew declared an emergency,swung the plane around and made an uneventful landing.Pretty cool IMO.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

Jumping jiminies - the size of that hole - what kinda "bird" did they hit - an ostrich???

 

 

[IronJack]

a big bird hit one of our four A319-100 aircraft

A big bird ... not THE "Big Bird." Otherwise a lot of children on Sesame Street are going to be traumatized.

[telstar12.5]

Uh, I think the AIRPLANE ran into the BIRD, actually.

[El Cid]

I guess I always thought plane skins were made out of titanium, or some other uber strong metal. The photo looks like it was made out of balsa wood.
My expert opinion is that the damage was done by an African swallow carrying a coconut...

[dfwgator]

[nickcarraway]

Wasn't there a Twilight Zone about this with William Shatner and John Lithgow?

[RckyRaCoCo]

...Nakawa said the aircraft, which has a capacity of 112 passengers...

...and 1(or 2 to maintain a coconut)mangled African Swallow...

[BenLurkin]

Picture of the “bird”

http://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M82f78afca62c61fc4ba2e03b8413673fo0&pid=15.1

[EveningStar]

Shatner was in the original. Lithgow played the role in the remake.

[Cementjungle]

Jumping jiminies - the size of that hole - what kinda "bird" did they hit - an ostrich???

Teradactyl. Until now, we had thought they were extinct.

[biff]

That looks to be fiberglass but most of it is thin aluminum .040 of an inch thick. About the thickness of a thin pencil lead.

[El Cid]

Thanks -- looked like wood to me with my uncalibrated eye.
Fiberglass makes more sense.