This is the damage a bird can do hitting a 747 mid-flight

A collision at speed can wreak more havoc than one would suspect.

AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHER David Davis took this picture of a Cathay Pacific 747 after the plane experienced what pilots might describe as a “bird strike”.

Sometimes, as with the US Airways plane that was forced to land on the Hudson several years ago after a flock Canada geese flew into its engines, these strikes can cause catastrophic damage to the aircraft.

In other cases, the damage is less severe — except to the bird(s).

This 747 apparently hit a bird squarely on its nose cone. The plane survived. The bird presumably didn’t. But it made quite a dent.

via DavidSDavis71/Flickr

For more of David Davis’s aviation photography, please visit his Flickr photostream.

- Henry Blodget

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This is the damage a bird can do hitting a 747 mid-flight

Pigeons force Aer Lingus flight to abandon trip to London>Pigeon v Plane: The costly battle to keep the airspace bird-free>

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Pigeons force Aer Lingus flight to abandon trip to London>
Pigeon v Plane: The costly battle to keep the airspace bird-free>