Spanish fighter jet sustains damage after collision with bird during aerobatic display

English Posted on  —by Carro e motos
Spanish fighter jet suffers damage after colliding with bird during aerobatic display
Spanish fighter jet suffers damage after colliding with bird during aerobatic display (X @EjercitoAire)

A Spanish photographer captured the impressive moment when a Eurofighter Typhoon from the Spanish Air Force collided with a seagull during an aerobatic display at the Aire 25 event.

The images show the exact moment the bird strikes the canopy (cockpit cover), exploding into fragments and leaving a trail of feathers and blood. The pilot, who was participating in the 40th-anniversary celebrations of the Eagle Patrol team, was able to land safely at San Javier Air Base, but the jet sustained significant damage.

Bird strikes with aircraft are common but rarely captured in such detail. For high-speed jets, these impacts are especially dangerous because they can damage engines or even blind pilots with debris. Famous cases, like the “Miracle on the Hudson” in 2009, show how real the risk is.

In the US, the Pentagon estimates that collisions cause $400 million in annual losses for the armed forces, leading to prevention programs like BASH, which was specifically created to reduce collisions between military aircraft and animals, especially birds.

Photographer Javier Salguero, who only released the photos weeks later due to a busy schedule, was surprised by the media coverage. “I didn’t expect it to reach so many people“, he admitted.

Meanwhile, experts assessed the damage to the Eurofighter, emphasizing the challenges military aircraft face when operating at low altitudes, where birds and humans share the same airspace.

Source: The War Zone | Photo: X @EjercitoAire | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team

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