FAA lists 2 dual engine bird strikes per year
The just released FAA database lists 32 occurences of bird strikes into both engines within the last 18 years, not yet including the accident of US Airways US-1549, that successfully ditched in the Hudson River at New York. In average that database alone lists nearly two dual engine bird strikes per year.
So far it had always been argued, that while bird strikes into a single engine are rather common, impact to two or more engines, let alone failure of two or more engines as a result of bird strikes, would be so extremely rare, that that possibility can be neglected.
The Aviation Herald points out several accidents (1988-2009) around the world (no claim of completeness), that were caused by bird strikes into multiple engines damaging more than one engine, causing power loss to more than one engine or bringing the airplane down:
| Date | Airplane and Location | Description | Result |
| Sep 15th 1988: | Ethiopian B732 registration ET-AJA at Bahar Dar (Ethiopia) | both engines hit on takeoff | crash |
| Jul 25th 1990: | Ethiopian B707 registration ET-ACQ at Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) | engines #2 and #3 hit, rejected takeoff | airplane destroyed |
| Sep 22nd 1995: | USAF B707 at Anchorage Elmendorf,AK (USA) | engines #1 and #2 hit on liftoff | crash |
| Jul 15th 1996: | Belgische Luftmacht C130 at Eindhoven (Belgium) | engines #1 and #2 hit on approach, #3 shut down by crew | crash |
| Jun 19th 1997: | Antonov AN24 registration UR-82029 at Genoa (Italy) | one engine failed, other engine and airframe damaged by gulls at 50-100 feet | safe landing |
| Jun 26th 2004: | Sarit AN12 registration ST-SAT at Wau Airport (Sudan) | engines #3 and #4 hit on takeoff | airplane destroyed |
| Mar 28th 2006: | Phoenix Avia AN12 registration EK-46741 at Payam (Iran) | engines #1,#3 and #4 hit on takeoff | airplane destroyed |
| Jul 07th 2007: | Delta Airlines B764 registration N834MH at Rome Fiumicino (Italy) | both engines hit on takeoff | safe landing |
| Jul 29th 2007: | Aviatrans AN12 registration RA-93912 at Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) | engines #3 and #4 hit on takeoff | crash |
| Nov 10th 2008: | Ryanair B738 registration EI-DYG at Rome Ciampino (Italy) | both engines hit on short final | substantial damage |
| Jan 15th 2009: | US Airways A320 registration N106US at New York,NY (USA) | both engines hit on climb, ditched in Hudson River | write off |
FAA list of dual engine bird strikes between 1990 and 2008:
| Date | Location | Airplane | Damage | Bird species |
| 03-02-1990 | MARTIN STATE (KMTN) MD AEA | MILITARY A-10A | N | LAUGHING GULL |
| 05-11-1991 | MINOT INTL AIRPORT (KMOT) ND AGL | CONTINENTAL AIRLINES B-737-200 | M | GULLS |
| 11-22-1991 | BOB HOPE ARPT (KBUR) CA AWP | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES B-737-300 | S | ROCK PIGEON |
| 06-27-1992 | CHICAGO MIDWAY (KMDW) IL AGL | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES B-737-200 | N | GULLS |
| 07-08-1993 | TWEED-NEW HAVEN ARPT (KHVN) CT ANE | UNITED AIRLINES B-737-300 | S | SPARROWS |
| 08-14-1993 | HUNTSVILLE INTL (KHSV) AL ASO | AMERICAN AIRLINES MD-80 | N | UNKNOWN BIRD – SMALL |
| 03-05-1994 | MINETA SAN JOSE INTL (KSJC) CA AWP | WESTAIR COMMUTER BA-31 JETSTR | S | UNKNOWN BIRD – SMALL |
| 08-13-1994 | THEODORE FRANCIS GREEN STATE (KPVD) RI ANE | AMERICAN AIRLINES MD-82 | N | SPARROWS |
| 04-19-1995 | SAN FRANCISCO INTL (KSFO) CA AWP | UNITED AIRLINES B-737-300 | UNKNOWN BIRD – SMALL | |
| 06-03-1995 | JOHN F KENNEDY INTL (KJFK) NY AEA | AIR FRANCE CONCORDE | S | CANADA GOOSE |
| 07-30-1995 | HARRISBURG INTL (KMDT) PA AEA | US AIRWAYS B-737-300 | N | UNKNOWN BIRD – SMALL |
| 08-08-1995 | EDMONTON INTL (CYEG) AB P&N | TRANSPORT CANADA C-550 | UNKNOWN BIRD | |
| 09-30-1995 | ONTARIO INTL ARPT (KONT) CA AWP | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES B-737-500 | N | EUROPEAN STARLING |
| 10-06-1995 | BALTIMORE WASH INTL (KBWI) MD AEA | CONTINENTAL AIRLINES B-737-300 | S | ROCK PIGEON |
| 01-19-1996 | BALTIMORE WASH INTL (KBWI) MD AEA | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES B-737-500 | S | GULLS |
| 04-15-1996 | DAYTONA BEACH INTL (KDAB) FL ASO | DELTA AIR LINES MD-88 | S | GULLS |
| 04-04-1997 | DALLAS FORT WORTH (KDFW) TX ASW | AMERICAN AIRLINES MD-80 | UNKNOWN BIRD – SMALL | |
| 05-05-1997 | BURNS MUNI AIRPORT (KBNO) OR ANM | BUSINESS B-737 | S | UNKNOWN BIRD |
| 10-02-1997 | SACRAMENTO INTL (KSMF) CA AWP | ALASKA AIRLINES B-737-400 | M? | UNKNOWN BIRD – SMALL |
| 09-18-1999 | SAULT STE. MARIE (CYAM) ON ONT | BUSINESS UNKNOWN | STARLINGS | |
| 07-05-2000 | COLUMBUS MUNI (IN) (KBAK) IN AGL | BUSINESS SAAB-340 | N | MOURNING DOVE |
| 08-19-2001 | JOHN F KENNEDY INTL (KJFK) NY AEA | AMERICAN AIRLINES A-300 | N | BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD |
| 06-21-2004 | GRANT COUNTY ARPT (KMWH) WA ANM | JAPAN AIRLINES B-747-1/200 | N | UNKNOWN BIRD – SMALL |
| 09-28-2005 | LOUISVILLE INTL ARPT (KSDF) KY ASO | UPS AIRLINES A-300 | M | BLUE-WINGED TEAL |
| 01-12-2006 | SACRAMENTO INTL (KSMF) CA AWP | NETJETS AVIATION DA-2000 | S | UNKNOWN BIRD – LARGE |
| 06-24-2007 | DENVER INTL AIRPORT (KDEN) CO ANM | DELTA AIR LINES B-757-200 | N | ROCK PIGEON |
| 07-07-2007 | FIUMICINO ARPT (LIRF) FGN | DELTA AIR LINES B-767-400 | S | YELLOW-LEGGED GULL |
| 11-27-2007 | MEMPHIS INTL (KMEM) TN ASO | PSA AIRLINES CL-RJ100/200 | S | SNOW GOOSE |
| 04-03-2008 | INDIANAPOLIS INTL (KIND) IN AGL | AIRTRAN AIRWAYS B-717-200 | N | CANADA GOOSE |
| 07-26-2008 | LONG ISLAND MAC ARTHUR (KISP) NY AEA | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES B-737-700 | EUROPEAN STARLING | |
| 08-10-2008 | DULLES INTL (KIAD) DC AEA | UNITED AIRLINES B-757-200 | N | UNKNOWN BIRD |
| 08-23-2008 | DAYTONA BEACH INTL (KDAB) FL ASO | ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST CL-RJ700 | N | LAUGHING GULL |