5 natural phenomena make aircraft vulnerable to accidents

Birds are the leading natural cause of flight problems.

1. Birds

Birds are the leading natural reason for flight problems. The world aviation agency has recorded thousands of collisions with birds each year and about 80% of collisions with birds are not recorded.

Accidents happen due to birds hitting the aircraft windshield, or being sucked into the engine causing damage.

Inside the jet engine after being trapped by the bird.

The collisions are mostly low, when the aircraft takes off and lands. But the aircraft actually collided with birds at an altitude of 6,000m - 9,000m. Even, geese can fly as high as 10,000 meters. Annual losses from bird collisions amount to 1.2 billion dollars.

Today, many solutions are introduced to limit these collisions. Many modern airports in the world for building observation towers, forecasting flight routes of migratory birds.

Some other measures are also used, such as broadcasting the bird chase near the airport, clearing the area around the airport so that the bird cannot nest, sticking a sharp stick on the roof, the top of the column to limit the perch.

2. Lightning

Lightning strikes at the top of the aircraft can temporarily blind the pilot.

Lightning used to be a god for flights. Lightning strikes the aircraft head can temporarily blind the pilot, causing a fire and damaging electronic devices on the plane.

Normally, about 2,000 clouds contain lightning in the sky. Every second, these clouds can launch 100 lightning strikes.

The most catastrophic accident occurred in 1963, Pan America's aircraft crashed due to lightning strikes that killed 83 people.

Today, developments in radar technology and weather forecasts have made it easy for flights to avoid cloudy clouds. Even with lightning strikes, modern technology helps aircraft remain safe and continue the flight.

3. Air disturbance

Air disturbance is also a common cause of aircraft problems. Most passengers on the plane have experienced the state of shaking, shocking because the aircraft flew into the air disturbance.

This phenomenon occurs in areas of air that fluctuate in pressure, on convection currents due to the effects of mountain topography and the buffer between hot and cold air masses. Even air turbulence can also occur in clear sky conditions.

Air disturbance is difficult to predict or detect by Rada.

4. Storm

Storm is the most powerful manifestation of air turbulence.

Storm is also one of the causes of danger for flights. Convection airflows in the center of a storm may throw flying airplanes, causing damage or even worse. Storm is the most powerful manifestation of air turbulence.

Therefore, airports always have their own meteorological stations, forecasting bad weather conditions and informing pilots every minute. Airline coordinators must also pay attention to weather conditions to guide flights to take off and land safely.

Today, radar has been able to detect air vortices, predicting the possibility of near tornadoes to alert flight and pilot coordination centers.

5. Ice

Ice appears both in the air and on the ground, causing great impacts on commercial aircraft.(Illustration).

In winter, frozen water on the wings of the aircraft poses a significant risk (making flights delayed or canceled). Rainwater freezes the wings of the aircraft, causing the plane to slow down and difficult to take off.

Ice appears both in the air and on the ground, causing great impacts on commercial aircraft and small sized aircraft. 819 people died because of this cause from 1982 to 2000, mostly in the cold winter.

But today, with modern applications and devices, the harms of this phenomenon have minimized. However, checking snow on the wing is one of the mandatory requirements before taking off.