Bird Strike Committee Proceedings
Date of this Version
October 2002
Abstract
There have not been many court cases, be it criminal or civil, concerning accidents, or even compensation for damages, following bird strikes. Generally, those involved prefer to reach an agreement out of court. The first court sentence in Italy on this subject was pronounced by the Civil Court of Genoa in 2001. The carrier had sued a number of entities (Ministry of Transport, Airport Operator, Air Traffic Control Agency) for damages resulting from a multiple impact between a BAE 146 and a flock of gulls (Larus sp.) that occurred on 7 June 1989 at Genoa Airport. On that occasion the aircraft managed to return to the parking stand, severely damaged with three engines out of order. This presentation describes the positions of the parties concerned and the judges’ conclusions – conclusions that might obviously be modified following an appeal.