Swans caused a dramatic emergency landing after smashing into a large passenger aircraft with the force of “a car hitting a concrete wall”, leaving it riddled with holes. A Boeing 737 Max operated by TUI was forced to make an urgent descent shortly after taking off from Gatwick Airport on its way to Cape Verde.
The pilots issued a mayday distress call at approximately 1,000 feet, following a bird strike at a speed of 185mph that not only punctured the fuselage but also cracked the windscreen. Upon landing, the plane was greeted with an escort on the runway.
Images from the scene show the exterior of the aircraft smeared with blood, while interior shots reveal debris scattered across the windscreen. Sources claim the encounter with the two “giant” birds compromised the ability to pressurise the aircraft, a critical phase of the flight.
A source told The Sun about the severity of the incident, noting that while bird strikes are fairly common at UK airports, this particular event was unprecedented in its level of danger. They explained: “Bird strikes are not uncommon at UK airports but this was on a scale of terror never seen before.”
The source elaborated on the impact of the collision: “It is believed at least two giant swans careered into the jet as it reached high speed. The sheer size of the birds, and the double strike, penetrated the jet’s forward fuselage. The strike breached the pressure bulkhead so the pilots couldn’t pressurise the plane.”
According to the source, the safety of the aircraft was seriously compromised by the incident.
The source described the incident as absolute mayhem, commenting: “It was carnage and the safety of the plane was in doubt. The pilots did a terrific job in the most testing of circumstances.”
On board, the 192 passengers undoubtedly experienced the jolt resulting from the avian impact, experts suggested to the Mirror. As the same source elaborated, the collision with the swans would have carried an impact comparable to “as a car hitting a concrete wall”.
They further explained the intensity of the situation: “The jet was probably between 500ft and 1,000ft when the damage was done. A jet hitting a swan at 185mph delivers roughly the same kinetic energy as a car hitting a concrete wall at around 30mph. The shudders would have been felt throughout the plane.”
