Story ID: 
Comments Sought on Bird-strike Certification Revisions
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Notice is based on findings from an FAA/industry working group, recent and upgraded bird-strike statistics, and NTSB recommendations made in 2009.
Word Count: 170
The FAA is seeking comments on the need for, and the possible scope of, changes to the bird-strike certification requirements for FAR Part 25 transport-category airplanes. In a request for comments notice published on Monday, the agency noted that the rules have remained essentially unchanged since Part 25 was introduced 50 years ago.

Current rules vary the weight of test birds and aircraft speeds and altitudes depending on the structural component being evaluated. This notice is based on findings from an FAA/industry working group, recent and upgraded bird-strike statistics and recommendations made in 2009 by the NTSB following its investigation into a fatal Citation 500 bird-strike accident in 2008. The FAA is not currently proposing specific regulatory action, but is gathering comments from airplane manufacturers and other interested parties on six specific questions about this subject.

Two of the questions are: "Should the bird weight requirement be raised to eight pounds?" and "Should testing be applied consistently across the airplane structure, windshield and airfoils?" Comments are due by November 17.