SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL™ INVESTIGATES
THE EVERYDAY THREAT OF DISASTROUS BIRD STRIKES IN
BIRD VS. PLANE: MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON
SPECIAL TO PREMIERE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 AT 9PM ET/PT
NEW YORK – December 11, 2018 – On the 10th anniversary of US Airways Flight
1549’s miraculous landing on the Hudson River, Smithsonian Channel revisits the event to explore the impact of bird strikes in aviation accidents around the world. In the United States alone, thousands of aviation bird strikes happen annually, with an uptick
in reporting during the winter migration; this was the case during the mid-January miracle on the Hudson in 2009. Featuring first-person accounts from survivors and flight safety experts working to reduce collisions, as well as leading scientists in the field
of forensic ornithology, BIRD VS. PLANE: MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON examines commercial and military air accidents, investigates the roles different bird species play in these events and highlights groundbreaking work to prevent future occurrences. BIRD
VS. PLANE: MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON premieres Tuesday, January 15 at 9 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel.
While the miracle on the Hudson made headlines around the world and created a national hero in US Airways Captain Chesley Sullenberger, bird strikes are
actually an everyday reality in skies across the country. On average, there are 40 civil aviation bird strikes in the United States each day, with over 500 species of birds involved in such incidents to date. Unbeknownst to much of the nation, a unique coalition
of biologists and flight safety experts closely studies bird movements around airports and in-flight paths, sharing knowledge and technology to mitigate threats. In addition, the U.S. Military operates its own dedicated program, Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Hazard,
or BASH, to address the conflict between military aircraft and bird species since military flights account for nearly a third of all reported bird strike incidents in the United States.
When a strike does occur, Carla Dove, a forensic ornithologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, steps in. Dr. Dove is one of the foremost
authorities in the field of ornithology and, together with her team, identifies birds involved in more than 10,000 strikes annually. BIRD VS. PLANE: MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON zeroes in on how this work to identify the species involved in such accidents has been
instrumental in helping to reduce the number of strikes, even as birds share the skies with more planes than ever before in history. The end goal, Dove says, is to “fight this for birds and for mankind.”
BIRD VS. PLANE: MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON is executive produced by Ash Potterton for Arrow Media. Linda Goldman and David Royle serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel. The program is produced
by Arrow International Media for Smithsonian Networks.
Smithsonian Channel™, owned by Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This
is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing factual entertainment, available in HD and 4K Ultra HD across multiple platforms. Smithsonian
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