An airplane bird strike is now going viral on the internet. This footage is very interesting because the pilot remained unfazed after the shocking incident.
The viral footage showed the bird dangling above the squadron leader. Because of this, Ariel's face and uniform were covered in blood.
Pilot safely lands his plane after a huge bird struck his windshield in the Los Ríos Province, Ecuador. Ariel Valiente was not injured during the incident. pic.twitter.com/Rl3Esonmtp
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) June 15, 2023
For some people, this incident could be traumatizing. But Valiente remained super calm. You can even see him steering the airplane while the dead bird is before him.
Thankfully, Valiente's airplane maintained stability despite the bird strike. As of writing, aviation authorities haven't confirmed the airplane's altitude during the incident or the route Valiente was following.
Back in April, another bird strike happened. The incident affected an American Airlines flight, which was headed to Phoenix.
In this case, the bird strike affected the AA aircraft's engine, causing flames from the No.2 engine. Luckily, the AA passenger plane landed safely and is now being repaired.
"The flight landed normally and taxied safely to the gate under its own power. The aircraft was taken out of service for maintenance and our team is working to get customers back on their way," said American Airlines via NBC News.
Is Bird Strike Dangerous?
Bird strikes are certainly dangerous to airplanes and the people they carry.
In the United States, reports stated that bird strikes cost commercial airlines up to $400 million.
If the damages cost by bird strikes in the US and other parts of the world are combined, the cost is estimated to be around $1.2 billion annually.
One of the most common birds involved in bird strikes is Canada geese. Airline authorities claimed these birds collide with aircraft around 240 times annually in the United States.
The damage birds cause to passenger airplanes depends on the animals' sizes, weights, and flying speeds.
If you want to learn more about how bird strikes affect the airline industries in the United States and other countries, you can click here.
