How Many Bird Strikes...

The Federal Aviation Administration recently released data about the number of bird strikes (plane-bird collisions) in the United States, and it is a number that surprised many people: more than 73,000 bird strikes in the last eight years (and the FAA believes only 20% of strikes are even reported). Previously, the downing of a plane in the Hudson River in January because of a bird strike seemed like a bizarre rarity; the data has changed our perception. While in some ways it is reassuring that major problems from bird strikes are so infrequent, the number of strikes is still of concern because they present a real, if unusual, danger. Of broader importance, however, is the power this new information gives us to assess which methods of bird strike prevention work best and whether progress can be made to decrease the number strikes.

The issue of data about bird strikes holds a lesson for transportation more generally because, as the saying goes, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Although the FAA has kept data about bird strikes for many years, the number of strikes has increased annually since the early 1990s, indicating that either there are more collisions occuring, increased reporting, or the FAA is not taking effective action. (We should note that the annual number of flights has increased over that time period as well, however.) Hopefully, public scrutiny will incentivize progress in reducing the number of strikes. There are a number of methods of deterring birds from near airports, including annoying noises, habitat manipulation, use of predators, shooing of birds, and shooting of birds. Data can illuminate which methods work best, and the public can judge whether their local airports are taking effective action. In short, it is good news that the FAA is tracking data, and it is of equal importance that the data is now available for public assessment.

One of the National Transportation Policy Project’s consistent themes has been the need for performance measurement and accountability. As the bird strike example shows, measurement and accountability should go hand-in-hand. Accountability is impossible without data, but data alone does not mean much unless it can be used to find best practices and reward good performance. Increased transparency should be at the core of a new approach to transportation performance and accountability.