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United Airlines flight diverted after hitting coyote during takeoff

ByArya Vaishnavi
Jan 16, 2025 03:58 PM IST

The Boeing 737 MAX 9, which had a total of 167 passengers and six crew members on board at the time, was diverted to Chicago

A United Airlines flight had to be diverted after it hit a coyote. The plane, bound for Phoenix, was forced to return to Chicago after its landing gear struck the wild animal during takeoff at around 10:45 am Sunday. The aircraft involved in the incident, which resulted in no injuries, was a Boeing 737 MAX 9.

A United Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off at Denver International Airport, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(AP)
A United Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off at Denver International Airport, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(AP)

United Airlines flight returns to Chicago after it struck coyote during takeoff

Flight 1727 was originally due to land at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona but was forced to return to its origin airport after it struck a coyote while taking off. The aircraft, which had a total of 167 passengers and six crew members on board at the time, arrived safely at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Illinois.

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In the wake of the incident, a spokesperson for United Airlines said in a statement to Fox News, “On Sunday morning, United flight 1727 safely returned to Chicago O'Hare International Airport to examine the aircraft after its landing gear struck a coyote during takeoff.” “We arranged for another plane to take our customers to their destination later that afternoon.”

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According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), about 310,000 wildlife strikes involving civil aircraft in the United States have been reported between 1990 and 2023, based on the data maintained by the US Department of Agriculture. The majority of the strikes involved birds, while thousands of others have been attributed to flying mammals, such as bats, and terrestrial animals like rabbits and deer. Meanwhile, coyotes accounted for 824 of those strikes between 1990 and 2022, per the agency's data.

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