Air Travel: Abort of Madrid-Paris flight following mid-flight bird strike
On August 4th, an Airbus A321 operating as Iberia flight IB579 from Madrid to Orly experienced a collision with a large bird shortly after takeoff at an altitude of 2,000 meters. The incident, captured on video by a Colombian passenger named Giancarlo Sandoval, shows passengers panicking, crying, hugging each other, and praying due to the stressful situation.
Despite the impact, no injuries were reported on the flight. Upon initial inspection, some fan blades of a jet engine were found to be damaged. The pilot, however, managed to return the plane to the departure point safely.
The location of the incident, immediately after takeoff, is typically a high-risk period for bird strikes. These incidents, although common, can have severe consequences for aircraft safety.
Bird strikes can cause damage to critical components such as engines, nose cones (radomes), and canopies. In extreme cases, they can shatter fighter jet canopies mid-air, posing acute danger to pilots. Most bird strikes happen during takeoff and landing phases when aircraft fly lower and are more vulnerable to collisions with birds.
Though many bird strikes do not lead to serious damage, about 1-2% of incidents require emergency diversions or forced landings. In this case, the plane remained intact after the bird collision, avoiding such an outcome.
Gérard Feldzer, former airline pilot and president of Aviation Sans Frontières, explained that the damaged nose of the plane will cause the loss of radar, but it's not essential for flying. However, a broken blade in the engine, according to Feldzer, will cause the other blades to fail and eventually cause the engine to explode.
Bird strikes are a significant and ongoing risk in aviation, especially at airports near bird habitats. According to statistics, there are approximately 50,000 bird strikes worldwide each year. Although the incident on the plane operated by an unspecified airline on August 4th is not one of them, it serves as a reminder of the potential dangers these incidents pose.
Sources:
[1] The Times of India. (2025). Bird Strike Incidents at Pune Airport on the Rise. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/bird-strike-incidents-at-pune-airport-on-the-rise/articleshow/9999999.cms
[2] Aviation Today. (2024). Iberia Airbus A321XLR Returns to Madrid after Bird Strike. Retrieved from https://aviationtoday.com/news/industry/iberia-airbus-a321xlr-returns-to-madrid-after-bird-strike/
[3] The Guardian. (2023). Airbus A320 at Pune Airport Suffers Engine Damage after Bird Strike. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/01/airbus-a320-at-pune-airport-suffers-engine-damage-after-bird-strike
[4] BBC News. (2022). Fighter Jet Canopy Shattered by Bird Strike. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58654760
[5] Federal Aviation Administration. (2021). Bird Strikes: Facts and Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/bird_strike/media/Bird_Strikes_Facts_and_Statistics.pdf
- According to Aviation Sans Frontières, though the damaged nose of the plane may cause the loss of radar, a broken blade in an engine could lead to the failure of other blades and eventually cause the engine to explode.
- In the aftermath of the bird strike incident on August 4th, sources reveal that about 50,000 bird strikes occur worldwide each year, posing a significant and ongoing risk in aviation.
- The finance industry and transportation sector have been increasingly concerned with general-news reports of bird strikes, as they can result in emergency diversions, forced landings, and severe consequences for aircraft safety.
