When a bird flies, or is sucked into, the engine of a plane, the poor critter usually disintegrates. However, in incidents with larger birds there can be extensive damage to the engine. ?Losing one engine is not going to cause an aircraft to crash because they are designed to fly with one engine down,? said Landells.

Yes, birds can technically bring down a plane, a phenomenon known as a "bird strike," though it is extremely rare for it to result in a fatal crash. Most bird strikes occur during takeoff or landing when the aircraft is at lower altitudes. The primary danger arises when a large bird or a flock of birds is ingested into one or both engines. Modern jet engines are designed to withstand the ingestion of a single small bird, but a "double ingestion" of large birds (like Canada Geese) can cause the engine blades to shatter, leading to a total loss of thrust. The most famous example is the "Miracle on the Hudson" in 2009. Birds can also cause significant damage to the cockpit windshield, though these are built with multiple layers of reinforced acrylic and glass to prevent shattering. In 2026, airports use sophisticated deterrents like radar tracking, sonic cannons, and even trained falcons to keep birds away from runways. While a bird strike causes millions of dollars in maintenance damage annually, the redundant systems of modern aircraft and rigorous pilot training mean that a total "bring down" of a plane remains a highly unlikely catastrophic event.