Birds hitting planes doubles to 2,200 in three years: Air safety watchdog reports engine fires and emergency landings Civil Aviation Authority figures show three 'significant' collisions in UK each week Report details 315 "bird strike incidents" in 2011 and 2012 Serious cases have caused engines to catch fire The number of birds colliding with planes has nearly doubled over the past few years, according to an air safety watchdog. More than 2,200 reports such incidents were recorded last year by the Civil Aviation Authority - almost twice the 1,299 "bird strikes" that were recorded in 2007. The figures show that around three "significant" collisions take place in Britain every week. Hazard: In the most serious incidents, pilots have been forced to put out mayday messages after birds flew into their engines, causing them to fail The most serious incidents saw pilots put out mayday messages as their engines failed. Other scares have seen planes dumping fuel to make emergency landings and cases where engines caught fire and fumes started to enter the cabin. The CAA report details 315 so-called "bird strike incidents" in 2011 and 2012 that damaged the aircraft or created a flight safety hazard. One of the most serious accidents involved an Airbus A321 flying out of Luton which was hit by a flock of birds shortly after take off, forcing the pilot to shut off an engine. Another saw an Airbus A320 having to return to Heathrow shortly after being hit by a bird. Air strike: Flocks of birds have led to emergency landings in some places And a passenger jet pilot declared an emergency after colliding with greenfinches as he was coming in to land at Gatwick. A CAA spokesman explained that pilots are now obliged to log every accident involving birds. "If a bird strike has been submitted, which has either caused damage to the aircraft or the bird strike has resulted in a flight safety hazard, then this would be reportable," he said. The most dangerous bird strike incident in recent years took place in New York when a US Airways Airbus A320 was forced to land in the Hudson River after being hit by a large flock of birds.