A Bird Strike Can Bring Down A Fighter Jet Even though class A incidents are uncommon, bird strikes have the potential to damage aircraft significantly. A class “A” event is one where the expected damage cost exceeds $2 million. This damage can be expensive, keeping aircraft grounded and inoperable.

Yes, a bird strike can technically "take down" a jet, though it is a rare occurrence. While jet engines are designed and tested to withstand the ingestion of small birds, hitting a flock of large birds (like Canada geese) can cause catastrophic engine failure. The most famous example is the 2009 "Miracle on the Hudson," where US Airways Flight 1549 lost power in both engines after striking a flock of geese shortly after takeoff. Kinetic energy is the primary issue: a 6.8kg bird hitting a plane traveling at 250 knots exerts a force equivalent to roughly 26 tonnes. Most bird strikes result only in minor dents or single-engine damage that allows for a safe landing, but because bird ingestion into multiple engines can lead to a total loss of thrust, airports use elaborate "bird scaring" techniques, such as sirens, lasers, and even trained falcons, to keep flight paths clear during the critical takeoff and landing phases.