Over 22,000 animal strikes were reported throughout the US last year, according to FAA statistics.
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 has been involved in a collision with multiple deer on the runway of Kodiak Benny Benson State Airport in Alaska, prompting a federal response after having gone viral through social media. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it's opening an investigation into the incident, which damaged the landing gear of the aircraft.
The video, which spread on X (formerly Twitter), shows the plane descending and then hitting over two deer as it taxies down the runway. The video ends with the plane on the tarmac.
One X user who posted the video wrote, "An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 collided with some deer landing at Kodiak Airport."
The pilots reportedly knew of the animals on the runway before landing, CNN reported based on LiveATC.net. The flight crew notified air traffic control while in descent.
"There is a deer on the runway," the pilot said after being cleared to land. The tower answered, "Roger, do you have an idea of where they are currently?" The pilot said, "The intersection."
After the incident, a Kodiak Benny Benson State Airport spokesperson confirmed to CNN that the main landing gear of the plane was damaged and needed repairs on site. Consequently, passenger flights to and from Kodiak were canceled for the remainder of Thursday, and travelers were rescheduled on other flights.
"A check revealed damage to the aircraft's main landing gear, which will need to be repaired in Kodiak," the spokesperson said.
Over 22,000 animal strikes were reported throughout the U.S. last year, according to FAA statistics quoted by CNN. While most are bird strikes, rarer instances have been on the increase in 2024, such as planes colliding with alligators in Florida, a mongoose in Hawaii, and a badger in North Dakota.
While the collision with the deer damaged equipment, there were no reported injuries. Passengers and crew all remained safe throughout the landing.
