Interim Guidance for Cleaning Aircraft Exteriors after Collisions with Birds

[hawkeye]

I thought this article to be a bit odd at first, until AnneZ pointed me to the second article:

GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Interim Guidance for Cleaning Aircraft Exteriors after Collisions with Birds in Avian Influenza A (H5N1)-Affected Areas

This information is current as of today, June 12, 2007, 03:58:40 PM

Updated: July 19 and 14, 2006
Released: July 5, 2006
Airplanes occasionally collide with birds in the air or during take-off or landing, resulting in visible residue that must be cleaned from the exterior of the plane after landing. In areas where avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreaks are ongoing among bird populations (see Embargo of Birds from Specified Countries: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/embargo.htm), such a collision might occur with an infected bird, posing a theoretical risk of contaminating the exterior surface of the plane with infectious blood, feces, feathers, or other material. Any potential risk of human exposure may be reduced by observing the following cleaning recommendations when a bird strike has occurred to an airplane taking off from, flying over, or landing in one of the H5N1-affected countries. These recommendations are based on professional judgment of infectious disease experts, using their knowledge of routes of transmission and the perceived low level of risk in such cases.

Recommendations

* Avoid washing contaminated surfaces with pressurized water or cleaner, which could theoretically aerosolize H5N1 viral particles that could then be inhaled.
* Use non-sterile vinyl or nitrile gloves that cover part of the arm.
* For additional protection:
o Disposable coveralls may be used to protect clothing while cleaning.
o If the cleaning method may create splashing, safety goggles or glasses and a surgical mask may be worn to protect the mucous membranes (See NIOSH Eye Protection for Infection Control).
* Use an agent equivalent to household cleaner or detergent to clean the surface and allow to air dry in accordance with the manufacturer?s instructions.
* Place any bird carcasses or parts removed during cleaning in a double-plastic bag and place in an appropriate trash receptacle.
* Avoid touching the mouth or face with soiled hands or gloves.
* Remove gloves and coveralls (if used), discard in an appropriate receptacle (or the same bag with bird parts), and wash hands with soap and water. Next, remove glasses, and/or mask (if used), discard or clean as appropriate, and wash hands again.

* Hands can be cleaned with an alcohol-based hand gel (at least 60% alcohol) when not visibly soiled and when soap and water are not available.

Flexibility in modifying personal protective equipment requirements may be necessary as determined on the basis of the task and circumstances of the cleaning activity.

The International Air Transport Association also provides information on air transport and communicable diseases on their website, as well as more general guidance on cleaning planes after a collision with a bird.

Additional guidance about avian influenza for airline flight, maintenance, and cleaning crews can be found on the CDC Travelers? Health website:

* Guidance about Avian Influenza for Airline Flight Crews and Persons Meeting Passengers Arriving from Areas with Avian Influenza
* Guidance for Airline Cleaning Crew, Maintenance Crew, and Baggage/Package and Cargo Handlers for Airlines Returning from Areas Affected by Avian Influenza

For avian flu-related travel information, see http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/avian_flu/.

For additional information on avian influenza, please consult the CDC Avian Influenza webpage. .

Date: July 19, 2006
Content Source: National Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine

 

[hawkeye]

Re: Interim Guidance for Cleaning Aircraft Exteriors after Collisions with Birds

Bird Plus Plane Equals Snarge
09.23.05 | 2:00 AM

Each day, the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory receives about a dozen packages from around the country, each containing tissue swabs from bird/plane collisions.

The lab's scientists have dubbed this bloody goo "snarge," and it is usually all that is left when bird meets plane. Scientists are analyzing snarge DNA to track airplane bird strikes, with the hope of decreasing hazardous collisions.

"It's bird ick," said Smithsoniansnarge expert Carla Dove, who heads the lab. Technicians identify the snarge DNA using sequencing technology, then enter the sequences into a national database. Scientists can then tell what kinds of birds are commonly smashing into America's airplanes, something of intense interest to both the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. military.

Bird strikes have been a hazard since the dawn of aviation. The first officially recorded bird strike was by Wilbur Wright in 1905, and the first death by bird came in 1912. Now each year birds cause more than $600 million in damage to civilian and military aircraft, and 163 injuries and nine deaths have been reported for civilians since 1990, according to the FAA.

The problem is even greater for the military. Its planes typically fly lower, much closer to bird airspace, and "we're flying faster and smaller planes," said Air Force biologist Eugene Leboeuf, who heads the military's Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard team, or Bash . "A 4-pound bird can do a lot of damage."

The military deals with feathered projectiles on a daily basis, and the most recent high-profile case came in 1995 when a flock of Canada geese brought down an AWACS, killing all 24 people on board.

As a result, bird-strike DNA analysis has become a vital part of aviation safety.

"Identifying the species of bird is very critical," said Richard Dolbeer, a United State Department of Agriculture biologist and member of Bird Strike Committee USA. By understanding the sizes and types of birds, experts hope to engineer stronger, more bird-resistant planes. Jet engines must now be able to withstand the ingestion of an 8-pound waterfowl without failing (this is tested in the lab by firing a chicken from a cannon at point-blank range). But identifying the types of birds also helps with bird avoidance.

The military relies heavily on the Smithsonian's data for what it calls its Bird Avoidance Model. When preparing flight plans, pilots can log onto the Avian Hazard Advisory System for historical patterns of bird strikes on their route. They can also tap into up-to-the-minute radar tracking of bird activity.

Some of the most inventive work happens on the ground, where wildlife biologists do their best to make airport runways unattractive to wildlife. Some airports, like JFK in New York, have contracted falconers to cut down on pigeon populations. In New Zealand an airport deployed electrified mats to repel worms that were attracting large populations of gulls.

The trends show that the most damaging birds are turkey vultures, followed by Canada geese and white pelicans. The most common are mourning doves and horned larks, but strikes range all over the spectrum and reach their height during the spring and fall migrations. "We're finding that the problem is caused by a wide variety of species," said Dolbeer.

And its not just birds. Sometimes jet-stream encounters can take a page from the X-Files. "We've had frogs, turtles, snakes. We had a cat once that was struck at some high altitude," said the Smithsonian's Dove. She says birds like hawks and herons will occasionally drop their quarries into oncoming planes. "The other day we had a bird strike. We sent the sample to the DNA lab and it came back as rabbit. How do you explain to the FAA that we had a rabbit strike at 1,800 feet?"