An aircraft carrying numerous passengers had to perform an emergency landing after colliding with an uncommon animal.
Passengers aboard the JetBlue flight from Rhode Island to New York were shocked when the pilot announced that they had hit a coyote approximately 10 minutes into the journey.
During takeoff at Rhode Island TF Green International Airport, JetBlue Flight 1129 struck the coyote while speeding down the runway on Tuesday morning. Despite the impact, the plane continued to ascend for about 15 minutes before the decision was made to return to Rhode Island.
Erin Drozda, a passenger on the flight, shared, “We were in the air for 10 to 15 minutes, and then suddenly the captain informed us,” as reported by WPRI. “They said, ‘This is the flight crew. If anyone heard that thud, we hit a coyote, and we are now on our way back to Providence.’… We thought it was a joke at first. You don’t ever hear that.”
Upon the return of the flight to Rhode Island, emergency teams were ready on the tarmac, conducting an inspection of the front of the aircraft for any potential damages. Subsequently, passengers were asked to disembark so a thorough examination could be carried out.
Drozda mentioned, “We deplaned and stayed indoors for about another 30 minutes, and then we were informed that everything was fine, allowing us to reboard the plane.”
Flight tracking data revealed that JetBlue Flight 1129 took off at 6:16 a.m., made a U-turn back to TF Green at 6:40 a.m., and then departed again shortly after 8:30 a.m., landing at John F Kennedy International Airport just after 9 a.m.
According to an airport spokesperson speaking to CBS News, the incident involving the coyote did not disrupt other flights. A JetBlue spokesperson mentioned that the plane’s return was a precautionary measure following reports of the coyote collision.
The airline confirmed that the flight landed safely without any issues or injuries.
This event occurred amidst the ongoing travel disturbances in the US due to staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), resulting in long queues at airports nationwide following a government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
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