[ChemistCat]

You mean to tell me a flockin' bird took the plane down? Pleeeease!

I am an airline pilot for a major airline, and I can tell you that it is EASY for a flock of birds to bring down a plane. I has happened before, and it is why every major airport has bird advisories when there are birds observed to be in the vincinity. It may or may not be the cause of this, but it is not only plausible, it is extremely so. 69 posted on 11/13/01 7:27 AM Pacific by safisoft

I thought this bore repeating.

[Greenpointer]

Yes, I said early on yesterday that it could have been caused by birds. The runway 22R goes right over the marshland preserve.

Known problem I think.

A flock of migrating Canadian geese maybe? I think full grown they are around 14 lbs apiece.

[catpuppy]

Glad you reposted that. It is absolutely true. Birdstrikes are such a threat in some areas that airfields employ professional falconers to keep flocks of birds away from the runways. I have seen this at USAF bases in Europe.