A pandemic-related surge in bee and wasp nest-building activity was responsible for at least eight abnormal pitot/static system events, including two rejected takeoffs, involving commercial airliners at London’s Heathrow Airport in mid-2021, the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) says.
The six-week-long flurry of insect activity in 2021 is likely to mean there will be a larger-than-usual number of bees and wasps in the area this year, according to the AAIB, which warned of increased seasonal risks of blocked pitot probes again this June and July and recommended “proactive habitat management and aircraft monitoring” to mitigate the problem.
An aircraft’s pitot/static system senses air pressure and enables instruments to correctly display an aircraft’s airspeed and altitude. Any blockage of the system can result in incorrect airspeed and altitude data.
“Insects blocking aircraft pitot/static systems is not a new hazard but one likely exacerbated at Heathr…
