Bird strikes can damage vehicle components , or injure passengers . Flocks of birds are especially dangerous and can lead to multiple strikes , and damage . Depending on the damage , aircraft at low altitudes or during take-off and landing often can not recover in time . US Airways Flight 1549 is a classic example of this . The engines on the Airbus A320 used on that flight were torn apart by multiple bird strikes at low altitude . There was no time to make a safe landing at an airport , forcing a water landing in the Hudson River
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549
Bird strike