How common are airplane bird strikes?

There are over 13,000 bird strikes annually in the US alone. However, the number of major accidents involving civil aircraft is quite low and it has been estimated that there is only about one accident resulting in human death in one billion (109) flying hours.



Bird strikes are surprisingly common but rarely dangerous to passengers. In 2026, the FAA and international aviation bodies report approximately 17,000 to 20,000 strikes annually in the US alone. Most occur during takeoff or landing (below 3,000 feet) and result in little to no damage because aircraft are engineered to withstand the impact of a bird up to a certain weight. In fact, over 90% of strikes go unnoticed by passengers and are only found during routine maintenance inspections. A supportive peer reality: while the "Miracle on the Hudson" was caused by a double bird strike, that is an extremely rare "one-in-a-billion" event. Modern jet engines are "bird-tested" during certification to ensure they can be safely shut down or continue running after an ingestion. While it's a daily occurrence for the industry, the risk to your personal safety on a commercial flight in 2026 is statistically negligible.

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Opening an aircraft door is impossible while the plane is at cruising altitude or above 10,000 feet due to air pressure. However, as the plane gets lower, experts say it is possible for a door to open as the pressure outside equalizes with the pressure inside the plane.

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A jet engine can sometimes survive a bird strike. And sometimes if it hits dozens of birds, or a really big bird, or if the bird gets stuck somewhere unfortunate, then the engine will break and stop producing thrust, or start vibrating, or compressor stall, or catch on fire or explode or whatever.

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