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We all know birds and planes don’t mix, but what about wasps and planes? Wasps are too small to be damaged if a plane encounters one, but what if a wasp wants to build a mud nest in an airplane’s Pitot probes? According to research published recently in the scientific journal PLOS One, the interaction between insects and aircraft is a life-threatening threat to flight safety.
Specifically, the research looked at the keyhole wasp that nests in mud in and around Brisbane airport in Queensland, Australia. The wasp, native to tropical Central and South America and the Caribbean, has been spotted multiple times over the past decade around Brisbane Airport, no doubt crossing the Pacific on one of the many available flights.
The keyhole wasp is small and will happily nest in artificial cavities, building a familiar mud nest in an unknown cavity. This makes the keyhole wasp an adaptable little creature.
Keyhole wasps posing a threat at Brisbane airport
Pitot probes are hollow tube-like instruments commonly mounted on the fuselage behind the nose cone and under the cockpit. Pitot probes measure speed. Anomalies between different airspeed gauges can have serious consequences, including accidents. One thing that can cause this is a blockage of the Pitot probes.
There has been a number of incidents over the past decade at Brisbane Airport where Pitot probes have provided inconsistent readings. Going back nearly 15 years, an accident involving a Qantas A330 on March 19, 2006 resulted in dangerous brake heating and tire deflation when takeoff was aborted. It was later discovered that the Pitot probe on the captain’s side contained wasp debris, including a wasp’s head.
In November 2013, after an aborted takeoff due to speed discrepancies, the Etihad Airways A330 only flew into the air for a second speed discrepancy. The captain returned to the airport. Upon inspection, it was found that sand and mud compatible with a wasp’s nest blocked the Pitot probe.
In 2015, a Jetstar A320 flew from Brisbane to Newcastle (Williamtown). After landing, a blocked total air temperature probe was found. That plane, an A320, had only been on the ground in Brisbane for 30 minutes. In all, there were 26 recorded incidents of wasp-related issues in and around Brisbane Airport between 2013 and 2019.
The wasps start checking the planes as soon as they arrive at the gate
The research examined wasp probe choice, lock rates, locations, and the relationship between nesting and the environment. The search lasted three and a half years and 93 cases of completely blocked probes were recorded. It should be noted that these recordings were mostly through artificial cavities / traps built by researchers around the airport, not actual airplane cavities.
The research found that wasp nesting activity is mostly limited to the summer months. Oddly, if the wasps nested in Pitot probe-style cavities, there was an inclination towards the boy wasps. The keyhole wasp (Pachodynerus nasidens) was found to be primarily responsible for creating mud nests around the airport. The researchers also noted the first official incident involving wasps and pitot probes at the airport in 2006, before the first recorded sighting of the invasive wasp.
Wasps were observed inspecting aircraft noses within minutes of arriving at the gate. These wasps are extremely fast and efficient nest builders. The nest does not need to be full to see abnormal speed readings. The first addition of mud to the rearmost cell wall or the introduction of the first prey object is enough to cause problems.
Wasps pose a significant risk at Brisbane Airport
The researchers conclude that the risk that the keyhole wasp presents at Brisbane airport is significant. They call the wasp “an adaptable, inventive and highly mobile species outside its natural range.The researchers also said;
“Having arrived in Australia, the species has established itself in a challenging environment that provides all the basic requirements for population persistence and has identified a potential nesting opportunity that is both transient and mobile. Thereby, (the keyhole wasp) represents a significant risk to aviation safety “.
Suggested short-term steps to protect aircraft include covering Pitot probes upon aircraft arrival and providing additional interception traps to discourage women from investigating Pitot probes on aircraft.
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