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Alaska Airlines Plane Has Runway Collision With Brown Bear, Takes Some Damage

It’s not entirely rare for planes of all shapes and sizes to hit wildlife. That said, this is a first, both for Alaska, where it happened, and probably the rest of the world: a plane collided with a brown bear.
Alaska Airlines aircraft damaged after hitting a bear on the runway 3 photos
Photo: Robert Johnson via CNN
Alaska Airlines aircraft damaged after hitting a bear on the runwayAlaska Airlines aircraft damaged after hitting a bear on the runway
It goes without saying, the collision happened on the runway. CNN reports that Flight 66 from Alaska Airlines, a Boeing 737-700, was landing at the Yakutat Airport, when passengers saw two bears on the runway. No one saw the impact, but they felt it when the plane went over one of the bears as it was taxiing to the gate.

“The nose gear missed the bears, but the captain felt an impact on the left side after the bears passed under the plane,”
Alaska Airlines says in a statement. The plane was carrying six passengers, but there are no reported injuries. Aside from the bear, that is.

As a result of the collision, the animal died and the plane took some damage to the cowl of the left engine. The aircraft has been temporarily retired while it undergoes repairs.

The airport is only partly fenced, but the airline, together with local photographer and biologist Robert Johnson, stresses that this is the first time something like this happens in Alaska. Prior to the landing, airport crew cleared the runway of snow and they saw no signs of wildlife. Sam Dapcevich, a public information officer for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, says that the airport uses pyrotechnics and vehicles to keep animals off the grounds and interfering with airport activities.

This time, something clearly didn’t work.

The other “first” for Alaska Airlines in terms of wildlife collisions dates back to 1987, when one of their aircraft hit a large fish. After takeoff, in the air. The plane was departing Juneau when an eagle carrying a fish crossed paths with it; the eagle got spooked by the plane and dropped the fish, which hit the plane just behind the cockpit window.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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