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Author Background

Dr. Flavio Mendonça is an associate professor and dedicated researcher at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the field of aviation. Dr. Mendonça’s scholarly pursuits are anchored in several key areas, including aviation safety, fatigue identification and management within aviation, and the mitigation of wildlife hazards to aviation. His research endeavors have contributed invaluable insights to the field, shaping best practices and informing safety protocols across the industry.

Dr. Huang is an Associate Professor in the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) and a Distinguished Professor in Aviation at the University of Nebraska. He also serves as the editor of Collegiate Aviation Review - International and on the leadership team for the FAA Center of Excellence for Technical Training and Human Performance. Dr. Huang has been actively conducting dynamic interdisciplinary research, intersecting aviation technology, data science, engineering, social science, and STEM-based education.

Julius Keller is an Assistant Professor in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University. He is an active Certified Flight Instructor with airplane single- and multi-engine, and instrument-airplane ratings. Dr. Keller’s primary scholarly areas include addressing issues identified by the FAA and NTSB such as fatigue among collegiate aviation pilots and wildlife strikes.

Abstract

Purpose. Brazilian airport operators face persistent challenges from wildlife hazards to aircraft operations, necessitating the development and implementation or review of existing wildlife hazard management plans. Enhancing airport operators’ ability to allocate resources effectively requires a deeper understanding of past wildlife strikes. This study aimed to provide empirical insights derived from the analyses of wildlife strike and aircraft operations data in Brazil to support accident prevention endeavors.

Design/methodology. The researchers utilized two main datasets: the Brazilian National Wildlife Strike Database and the annual reports on aircraft traffic operations published by the Brazilian Department of Airspace Control. For this study, wildlife strike and aircraft operations data from the 30 busiest airports accommodating commercial operations in Brazil (from 2020 to 2022) were sampled. We performed an exploratory data analysis to identify wildlife strike trends and other characteristics that are of interest to airport and other aviation operators.

Findings. Our findings revealed a significant surge in the number of wildlife strikes at and around the studied airports, showing a 287% increase during the study period. The majority of strikes (67%) and damaging strikes (57%) implicated medium-sized animals (251–750g). Commercial operators were involved in 73% of all strikes and 52% of all damaging strikes. A noteworthy discovery was that the airport environment witnessed the occurrence of the majority of wildlife strikes (93%) and damaging wildlife strikes (91%).

Originality/value. This study provides numerous managerial insights and safety implications that airport operators and other aviation stakeholders can utilize to enhance aviation safety. Moreover, the study may serve as a foundation for future research and other managerial initiatives aimed at addressing the safety management of wildlife hazards in Brazil and worldwide.

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