Wildlife Hazard Management
WILDLIFE HAZARD MANAGEMENT | VERIFIED EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - LATEST VERSION
2026/2027
WILDLIFE HAZARD MANAGEMENT
1. In wildlife hazard management, the term "snarge" refers to:
A. The grass clippings left behind after airfield mowing
B. A pyrotechnic round used to disperse gulls
C. The tissue, blood and feather residue left on an aircraft after a wildlife
strike
D. A flock of birds circling over an approach path
C. The tissue, blood and feather residue left on an aircraft after a
wildlife strike
Snarge is strike residue; swabs of it can be sent for DNA analysis when no
feathers are recovered.
2. Which factor has the greatest influence on the impact energy of a
bird strike?
A. The color of the bird's plumage
B. The runway surface material
C. Aircraft speed at the moment of impact
D. The time of day the strike occurs
C. Aircraft speed at the moment of impact
Kinetic energy equals one-half mass times velocity squared, so doubling
speed quadruples impact energy.
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, Wildlife Hazard Management
3. US Airways Flight 1549 ditched in the Hudson River in January 2009
after both engines ingested:
A. Snow geese
B. Turkey vultures
C. Canada geese
D. Herring gulls
C. Canada geese
Remains recovered from both engines were identified as migratory
Canada geese.
4. The 1960 crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 at Boston Logan
Airport was caused by engine ingestion of:
A. Canada geese
B. Mallard ducks
C. Rock pigeons
D. European starlings
D. European starlings
A dense starling flock was ingested shortly after takeoff, killing 62 people
and prompting engine ingestion research.
5. In 1995 a USAF E-3 AWACS crashed at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, killing
all 24 crew members, after ingesting:
A. Sandhill cranes
B. Bald eagles
C. Canada geese
D. Glaucous gulls
C. Canada geese
Geese were ingested into two engines on takeoff, a key event in the
development of the military BASH program.
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, Wildlife Hazard Management
6. Most wildlife strikes to civil aircraft occur:
A. Only in oceanic airspace
B. While aircraft are parked at the gate
C. During cruise above 18,000 feet MSL
D. At low altitude in the airport environment, generally at or below 500
feet AGL
D. At low altitude in the airport environment, generally at or below
500 feet AGL
Strike data consistently show strikes concentrated near the ground, which
is why airport-based management is so effective.
7. Which phases of flight account for the largest share of reported bird
strikes?
A. Cruise and descent from cruise
B. Approach and landing roll
C. Taxi-out and pushback
D. Engine start and run-up
B. Approach and landing roll
Arrival phases account for more reported strikes than departure phases
in FAA strike data.
8. In the contiguous United States, wildlife strikes reach their seasonal
peak during:
A. December through February
B. Strike numbers do not vary by season
C. July through October
D. March only
C. July through October
Late summer and fall bring fledgling young birds and southbound
migration, increasing bird numbers near airports.
Page 3 of 61
, Wildlife Hazard Management
9. The primary objective of an airport wildlife hazard management
program is to:
A. Reduce the risk of wildlife strikes by reducing hazardous wildlife on
and near the airport
B. Replace air traffic control bird advisories
C. Increase the population of protected species on the airfield
D. Eliminate all wildlife from within 50 miles of the airport
A. Reduce the risk of wildlife strikes by reducing hazardous wildlife
on and near the airport
The goal is risk reduction to an acceptable level, not total eradication of
wildlife.
10. The FAA defines "hazardous wildlife" as species that:
A. Are listed as endangered under federal law
B. Are found only within the runway safety area
C. Are associated with aircraft strike problems, can damage airport
facilities, or attract other wildlife that pose a strike hazard
D. Weigh more than 20 pounds
C. Are associated with aircraft strike problems, can damage airport
facilities, or attract other wildlife that pose a strike hazard
The FAA definition includes birds, mammals, reptiles and uncontrolled
feral or domestic animals meeting these criteria.
11. Why are modern twin-engine transports considered more
vulnerable to bird strikes than older three- and four-engine aircraft?
A. Losing one engine removes a larger percentage of total available thrust
B. Twin-engine aircraft have no windshield heating
C. Twin-engine aircraft cannot carry wildlife detection radar
D. Twin-engine aircraft fly faster on approach
A. Losing one engine removes a larger percentage of total available
thrust
With only two engines, a single engine failure removes half of available
thrust during a critical phase of flight.
Page 4 of 61
WILDLIFE HAZARD MANAGEMENT | VERIFIED EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - LATEST VERSION
2026/2027
WILDLIFE HAZARD MANAGEMENT
1. In wildlife hazard management, the term "snarge" refers to:
A. The grass clippings left behind after airfield mowing
B. A pyrotechnic round used to disperse gulls
C. The tissue, blood and feather residue left on an aircraft after a wildlife
strike
D. A flock of birds circling over an approach path
C. The tissue, blood and feather residue left on an aircraft after a
wildlife strike
Snarge is strike residue; swabs of it can be sent for DNA analysis when no
feathers are recovered.
2. Which factor has the greatest influence on the impact energy of a
bird strike?
A. The color of the bird's plumage
B. The runway surface material
C. Aircraft speed at the moment of impact
D. The time of day the strike occurs
C. Aircraft speed at the moment of impact
Kinetic energy equals one-half mass times velocity squared, so doubling
speed quadruples impact energy.
Page 1 of 61
, Wildlife Hazard Management
3. US Airways Flight 1549 ditched in the Hudson River in January 2009
after both engines ingested:
A. Snow geese
B. Turkey vultures
C. Canada geese
D. Herring gulls
C. Canada geese
Remains recovered from both engines were identified as migratory
Canada geese.
4. The 1960 crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 at Boston Logan
Airport was caused by engine ingestion of:
A. Canada geese
B. Mallard ducks
C. Rock pigeons
D. European starlings
D. European starlings
A dense starling flock was ingested shortly after takeoff, killing 62 people
and prompting engine ingestion research.
5. In 1995 a USAF E-3 AWACS crashed at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, killing
all 24 crew members, after ingesting:
A. Sandhill cranes
B. Bald eagles
C. Canada geese
D. Glaucous gulls
C. Canada geese
Geese were ingested into two engines on takeoff, a key event in the
development of the military BASH program.
Page 2 of 61
, Wildlife Hazard Management
6. Most wildlife strikes to civil aircraft occur:
A. Only in oceanic airspace
B. While aircraft are parked at the gate
C. During cruise above 18,000 feet MSL
D. At low altitude in the airport environment, generally at or below 500
feet AGL
D. At low altitude in the airport environment, generally at or below
500 feet AGL
Strike data consistently show strikes concentrated near the ground, which
is why airport-based management is so effective.
7. Which phases of flight account for the largest share of reported bird
strikes?
A. Cruise and descent from cruise
B. Approach and landing roll
C. Taxi-out and pushback
D. Engine start and run-up
B. Approach and landing roll
Arrival phases account for more reported strikes than departure phases
in FAA strike data.
8. In the contiguous United States, wildlife strikes reach their seasonal
peak during:
A. December through February
B. Strike numbers do not vary by season
C. July through October
D. March only
C. July through October
Late summer and fall bring fledgling young birds and southbound
migration, increasing bird numbers near airports.
Page 3 of 61
, Wildlife Hazard Management
9. The primary objective of an airport wildlife hazard management
program is to:
A. Reduce the risk of wildlife strikes by reducing hazardous wildlife on
and near the airport
B. Replace air traffic control bird advisories
C. Increase the population of protected species on the airfield
D. Eliminate all wildlife from within 50 miles of the airport
A. Reduce the risk of wildlife strikes by reducing hazardous wildlife
on and near the airport
The goal is risk reduction to an acceptable level, not total eradication of
wildlife.
10. The FAA defines "hazardous wildlife" as species that:
A. Are listed as endangered under federal law
B. Are found only within the runway safety area
C. Are associated with aircraft strike problems, can damage airport
facilities, or attract other wildlife that pose a strike hazard
D. Weigh more than 20 pounds
C. Are associated with aircraft strike problems, can damage airport
facilities, or attract other wildlife that pose a strike hazard
The FAA definition includes birds, mammals, reptiles and uncontrolled
feral or domestic animals meeting these criteria.
11. Why are modern twin-engine transports considered more
vulnerable to bird strikes than older three- and four-engine aircraft?
A. Losing one engine removes a larger percentage of total available thrust
B. Twin-engine aircraft have no windshield heating
C. Twin-engine aircraft cannot carry wildlife detection radar
D. Twin-engine aircraft fly faster on approach
A. Losing one engine removes a larger percentage of total available
thrust
With only two engines, a single engine failure removes half of available
thrust during a critical phase of flight.
Page 4 of 61
