Bird strikes on increase, including planes from Altoona and Johnstown.

Airplanes hitting birds is on the increase according to a new Federal Aviation Administration report, including hits to planes from Altoona and Johnstown.

Government documents reviewed by 6 News’ Washington bureau showed dozens of flights in or out of Pennsylvania airports have been struck by birds since 2011.

The report said one hit included a plane at the Altoona-Blair County airport and five more at the Johnstown-Cambria County airport.

A new report from the FAA said the number of bird strikes on airplanes has “dramatically increased.”

It said 9,840 of them last year which is five times more than in 1990.

6 News has learned six planes from either Johnstown or Altoona have struck birds since January 2011, and a Continental flight from Pittsburgh struck a falcon and suffered what the government called “significant damage.”

Pilot Sean Cassidy said, “unlike thunderstorms and meteorological events, it's exceedingly difficult to figure out what a group of birds is going to do."

Internal investigators say the federal government isn't doing enough to protect you from the problem and that those inspectors aren't even familiar with the wildlife they're supposed to be stopping.

"24 people in about the last decade have died in aircrafts taken down by bird strikes,” said Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the U.S. Transportation Department.

"Not only does it take out one plane engine, it goes through the plane. A bird actually went through the skin of a plane and went through the cockpit,” Schiavo said.

In a statement, the FAA told 6 News more U.S. airports have created strategies to stop the threat of bird strikes.