Yet again, a plane leaving New York City’s JFK airport was forced to make an emergency landing after striking what the pilot said to be a “big bird,” according to the Herald Sun.
Passengers were caught off guard after the cabin filled with a smell they could only describe as burned turkey or cooked chicken.
The bird has not yet been identified, but the captain said it was very big and sucked into the engine.
This is just another bird strike in a string of cases around the world and at JFK specifically. The FAA says there has already been more than a dozen reported bird strikes at JFK with many more possibly going unnoticed or unreported.
Bird strikes are not just a problem for the people who are inconvenienced by the delay, but also for the poor birds that are sucked into the merciless engines.
Radio New Zealand is reporting interesting news that scientists have developed a grass that significantly reduces the risk of bird strikes at airports.
The grass is grown on and around airports, and when birds eat it, they feel sick. The special ingredient is a harmless fungus that also keeps insects away, so it doesn’t attract insect-eating birds either.
The project has already won a DuPont Innovation Award, and though it will require more testing, there’s no reason it can’t be planted around American airports.
It’s in the best interest of birds and people to reduce bird strikes.
