Physics midterm problem: American Airlines Flight 1498 bird strike

Physics 205A Midterm 2, fall semester 2017
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

"Bird slams into Miami-bound flight on approach to airport"
WPLG Local 10 News
local10.com/travel/bird-slams-into-miami-bound-flight-on-approach-to-airport-1-1

In November 2017, an Airbus 319 collided with a bird that embedded itself into the nose cone of the airplane.[*] Assume that the Airbus 319 had a mass of 62,600 kg and a horizontal speed of 70 m/s while landing[**][***], as it hit the bird (presumably a turkey buzzard[****][*****][******]) of 2.0 kg, flying away from the plane at its maximum speed of 27 m/s. No one was injured on the plane, but the bird was mostly likely instantaneously killed. Ignore friction, drag, and external forces.



Determine (a) the final speed of the plane and bird together after the impact, and (b) demonstrate that the bird experienced a crash severity (Δv = v_f – v₀) with a greater magnitude than the crash severity of the plane.



Show your work and explain your reasoning using properties of collisions, velocities, and momentum conservation.

[*] miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article184658633.html.
[**] wiki.pe/Airbus_A319.
[***] answers.com/Q/What_is_the_landing_speed_of_an_Airbus_A319?#slide=2.
[****] felid.org/activities/page_24.htm.
[*****] wiki.pe/Turkey_vulture#Description.
[******] kern.audubon.org/tvfacts.htm.

Solution and grading rubric:

• p:
  Correct. Determines/discusses:
  1. the final velocity of the airplane (and bird) in this completely inelastic collision from applying momentum conservation; and
  2. the relatively large crash severity magnitude of the bird (essentially 43 m/s), compared to the minuscule crash severity magnitude of the airplane (essentially zero).
• r:
  Nearly correct, but includes minor math errors. Correct final velocity of airplane/bird after collision, but does not find/compare relative crash severity magnitues; or sets up but does not successfully complete momentum conservation for this completely inelastic collision due to math errors, but attempts to use final velocity values to compare relative crash severity magnitudes.
• t:
  Nearly correct, but approach has conceptual errors, and/or major/compounded math errors. Typically has at least one final velocity set to zero, and/or does not realize that the final velocities of the airplane and the bird are identical in setting up momentum conservation.
• v:
  Limited relevant discussion of supporting evidence of at least some merit, but in an inconsistent or unclear manner. At least some systematic attempt at using momentum conservation.
• x:
  Implementation of ideas, but credit given for effort rather than merit. No clear attempt at applying momentum conservation.
• y:
  Irrelevant discussion/effectively blank.
• z:
  Blank.

Grading distribution:
Sections 70854, 70855
Exam code: midterm02bu2Z
p: 37 students
r: 7 students
t: 5 students
v: 1 student
x: 0 students
y: 0 students
z: 0 students

A sample "p" response (from student 4632):
Another sample "p" response (from student 5203), with an added "whoops" for emphasis: