WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- The FAA has not effectively implemented a program designed to keep birds and other animals from causing damage to airplanes , according to an audit from the Department of Transportation . The agency did not have robust inspection practices , inspectors did not have expertise in wildlife hazards , and they failed to keep adequate records of inspections , Jeffrey Guzzetti , the assistant inspector general for aviation and special program audits , wrote . Aircraft strike thousands of animals each year . In 2011 , there were 9,840 strikes -- nearly 27 a day -- recorded by the FAA , according to the report . The number is five times the number of strikes that were reported in 1990 , due in part to increasing bird populations . The results of a collision with wildlife often are minor but they can cause serious problems , including engine failures like those that forced US Airways Flight 1549 , the so-called `` Miracle on the Hudson , '' to crash land in the river . Twenty-four people have died in the U.S. and 229 worldwide due to wildlife strikes since 1988 , according to the report . About 600,000 hours of aircraft downtime and $ 625 million in damages are caused each year by the incidents . Next generation of supersonic flight . `` Inspectors we spoke with mostly relied on interviews with airport personnel to determine compliance with regulatory requirements , rather than reviewing strike and airport records , '' the report says . Auditors randomly selected 40 airports and found inspectors at 21 of them `` did not know whether the airports ' assessments and plans had been FAA reviewed and approved or whether the airports were even required to conduct an assessment or develop a plan . '' Of the 35 airports auditors looked at with FAA wildlife hazard assessment plans , 27 did not comply with at least one requirement despite FAA inspection documents showing they did . Inspectors did not initiate enforcement actions when airports did n't follow the rules 25 times at eight of the airports visited , according to the audit . BA Googles passengers . Many of the policies for reporting and preventing wildlife hazards are voluntary , which the inspector general concluded limits their effectiveness . Auditors found that one airport reported 90 % of strikes while another reported only 11 % . Overall , only about 21 % of strikes in logs at the airports examined were reported to the FAA . `` Without full reporting and complete data on wildlife strikes , it is difficult to fully analyze the magnitude of safety issues , the nature of the problems , and the economic cost of wildlife strikes , '' the report found . The report suggested 10 changes to address the problems found , including mandatory and full reporting requirements as well as performing better inspections and reviews of plans . Airlines shrink legroom in coach . `` It is imperative that FAA improve its management processes by improving oversight and enforcement of program regulations , making strike reporting mandatory , establishing performance metrics , and strengthening coordination with other governmental agencies , '' the audit concluded . Responding to the audit , the FAA agreed with six of the recommendations , but only partially agreed with three , and disagreed with one . Flight returns after engine problem . `` FAA has devoted considerable effort to improving the outcomes from its work with airports and the aviation industry to reduce wildlife related hazards to aviation , '' Clayton Foushee , the FAA 's director of audit and evaluation , wrote . The agency rejected the audit 's calls for mandatory and full reporting and cited a 2009 report that concluded `` the current level of voluntary strike reporting is sufficient for determining national aircraft strike trends , determining the hazard level of wildlife species involved in aircraft strikes , and for providing a scientific foundation for FAA policies and guidance regarding the mitigation of risk from wildlife strikes . '' Top officials among those killed in Sudan crash . The FAA is working to gather data , expand and improve regulations , use technology to track animals , and increase training , raise awareness , he said . `` While wildlife strikes have increased ... the percentage of significant strikes , in which multiple strikes occur simultaneously or in which an air carrier experiences a damaging collisions has decreased markedly , from 20 % of total reported strikes in 1990 , to 9 % in 2010 . '' `` In our opinion , FAA is missing an opportunity to fully address one of its biggest challenges by not meeting the full intent of these recommendations , '' the audit said . `` Accordingly , we request that the agency reconsider its position . ''
About 27 airplanes each day hit an animal . Audit found FAA inspectors lacked expertise , failed to keep complete records . Report made 10 recommendations . FAA rejects call for mandatory and full reporting .