Birds hit 3 planes at LaGuardia; No injuries, damage reported

QUEENS (WABC) -- Three planes separately hit birds near LaGuardia Airport Wednesday morning.

The first two strikes occurred within a 90-minute period starting at 7:18 a.m., while the third happened just after 11 a.m.

FAA sources say ExpressJet Flight 5400 was struck in the nose gear area as the aircraft was turning to land on Runway 31, while Flight 5432 reported striking a bird while taxiing to the ramp.

Then, Air Canada 706 reported a bird strike 12 miles northeast of the airport two hours later.

The planes that were struck in the air made successful emergency landings. The FAA will investigate.

While there were no injuries or damage, the triple strikes highlight a persistent problem, renewing questions about birds around the airport and if enough is being done to keep them at bay.

"It's an ongoing problem and one can hope there's not severe damage of the type that caused Sullenberger to do a splash down," said former commercial pilot J.P. Tristani.

That splashdown is forever known as the Miracle on the Hudson, in which a a flock of birds at LaGuardia in 2009 forced an emergency river landing.

It also triggered a stream of government promises to reduce bird strikes.

But a check of the latest FAA data shows bird strikes are up at all three New York area airports.

JFK had 180 strikes last year, a 9% increase since 2009. Newark had 132 strikes, up 17%. And LaGuardia, with 154 strikes last year, is up 44% in 5 years.

"We should be concerned about the amount of bird strikes to aircraft. And it leads me to say the concern should lead to better methods to control them around airports," said Tristani.

The Port Authority says better reporting accounts for some of the increase. The agency has annual roundups of geese and regular destruction of eggs in an effort to control the populations.

But comments made by former Port Authority Wildlife Manager Steven Garber in an earlier Eyewitness News investigation still ring true two years later.

"Port Authority and Department of Agriculture all promised they'd take care of the problem and they didn't, they didn't year after year after year goes by," said Garber.