US Department of Transportation / Federal Aviation Administration
27 June 2024
This report presents an analysis of data from the National Wildlife Strike Database (NWSD) for the 34-year period, 1990 through 2023. A sample of 12 significant wildlife strikes to civil aircraft in the USA during 2023 is also included as Appendix A. Appendix B explains how to report strikes and the role of the Smithsonian Institution Feather Lab in identifying bird and other wildlife species that are struck. Appendix C lists the scientific names and mean body masses for the 790 wildlife species mentioned in the report.
In 2023, 19,603 strikes were reported, an increase of 14 percent compared to the 17,205 strikes reported in 2022. This increase in reports was higher than the respective 6 percent and 5 percent increases in aircraft movements at Part 139 airports (certificated for passenger service) and general aviation airports in 2023 compared to 2022 as air traffic recovered from COVID-19 travel restrictions. For the 34-year period (1990-2023), 296,613 strikes were reported of which 291,547 (98.3 percent) occurred in the USA.
Both Part 139-certificated airports and general aviation airports have recorded significant increases in reported strikes per 100,000 movements from 1990-2023. However, the number of damaging strikes per 100,000 movements below 1,500 feet above ground level has remained stable at Part 139-certificated airports from 2000- 2023 whereas there has been a significant increase in the damaging strike rate at general aviation airports.
In 2023, 71 percent and <1 percent of the 19,603 strike reports were filed using the electronic and paper versions, respectively, of FAA Form 5200-7, Bird/Other Wildlife Strike Report. More than one type of report was filed for the same strike event in 17 percent of the strikes (many of these had at least one FAA Form 5200-7E report filed).
[Read on: Wildlife Strikes to Civil Aircraft in the United States from 1990 to 2023 (faa.gov)]
