Close Encounter

[Chryse]

Im not quite sure if this fits into the Tech Log forum.

Recently, during takeoff, with a fully loaded bird, at approximately 130 knts (V1 was 144 knts) we saw a wild boar charging across the runway. From the moment we saw the animal to the time we realized the animal was on a collision path with us, we had already acccelerated another 5 knts. Our decision at this point, although just below our V1 speed, was to continue the takeoff. Rudder input was given to try and maneuver the aircraft slightly off centerline and give us a little more distance from the animal. We attained Vr and climbed out without impact. In addition, all ops were normal and no animal remains were found on the runway. I have no idea from were the animal managed to escape, but the boar was large and would have surely caused significant damage upon impact. Divine Intervention was surely our saving grace.

Our company gives us circulars stating airports where birds and animals are known to be a menace. Not to say that we were complacent but this airport was not listed.

Have any of you ppruners had any close calls with animals on the runway? What were your actions and the outcome? Is there any way we can try and reduce the chances of this happening again?

[BOAC]

That'll teach you to go 'boaring' down the runway :O

Have any of you ppruners had any close calls with animals on the runway? What were your actions and the outcome? Is there any way we can try and reduce the chances of this happening again?

1) Yes - dogs at Naples, deer at Carlisle, sheep at Glenforsa (Mull) and of course the occasional Gatwick fox (!!) - and occasional illegal immigrants

2) Flexible/missed

3) ?? If it is the sheep at Glenforsa, make sure that when you do your low passes to get the blighters off the strip, you do NOT separate a mum from her lambs unlike someone I know!! :*

[Notso Fantastic]

One of our 747s hit a fox/something many years ago at high speed on a night T/O at Nairobi- nobody saw or heard anything unusual. When airborne, the F/E started putting the packs on and the aeroplane wouldn't pressurise. Caused a lot of head scratching. Eventually landed back for thorough inspection after dumping London fuel. The animal had obviously gone between the mainwheels and then been projected vertically upwards within the body landing gear bay at tremendous speed, smashed into the cabin floor and broken the pressure seal leaving a hole under the carpet. Nobody was sitting in that area so nobody was aware that there was a veritable gale blowing out through the floor! Not enough remains were recovered to identify culprit. A boar is pretty serious!

[Tinstaafl]

...divine intervention...

You don't think your path adjustment and very probable swerve by the boar had anything to do with it?


Back to the question:

So far I've had to dodge sheep, shetland ponies, kangaroos & wallabies, numerous large sea birds (they nest & live on the islands I fly into... :ugh: ), dogs, rabbits/hares.

The company had a 'lamb strike' last year. Cost over 20,000 quid to repair.

[Onan the Clumsy]

Most of the animals I had to dodge were already in the cabin. Sometimes, on their first skydive, people will grab at anything...and then pull.

Yes, even the yoke. :uhoh:

I have had to clear cows off the runway though but I never came near them.

[swish266]

Had a fox encounter last sat at FRA, luckily just before vacating 25R on Hto at about 60 knots. No fatalities...
1978, Lagos, trijet on landing killed a woman. Apparent suicide...
Captain was detained...

[HugMonster]

Had a fox encounter @ SEN and an owl encounter @ HUY. Neither survived. :(

[ChrisVJ]

Lear Jet encountered a moose on runway in Oregon. Visiting Mountie kicked out door when plane caught fire. Senior Mountie said " It's a good job they did not encounter the moose after take off."

True story, pictures in paper.

Air to air with a moose can be really dangerous.

[vector4fun]

Saw a BE-99 just miss an Ibex at at aiport in New Mexico many years ago. Some local ranchers used to import "exotic" game for grins, this one got loose. Many deer around airports in some parts of U.S. Lufthansa used to kill dozens of jackrabbits a night years ago in Roswell, NM during training. Messy; then the Buzzards get active the next morning and........

[G-ALAN]

" It's a good job they did not encounter the moose after take off."

I know its a joke of some kind but I don't get it :( can you enlighten me Chris?? cheers :)

[Notso Fantastic]

Low flying mooses (meece?) aren't equiped with TCAS and as such constitute a hazard to air navigation.

[compressor stall]

Small agile wallabies are reknowned for, just prior to impact, executing a slide along their side commando style, then hop up again and off. They do it through fences, and more than once under my C210. They did it with a Nikelodeon film crew on board one day who caught it one tape.

Birds, birds and more birds. Hares. Rabbits. Cattle.

[G-ALAN]

Ahhh I get it now NSF thanx! ! :) typical pilot joke! My instructor always tells me them as I am about to contact ATC!

[Basurablanca]

Quite a while back before I got my PPL I was on short final for a small country airport in a C152 with my instructor at night. At about 50 feet AGL I noticed a pair of eyes on the runway. I froze to some extent, I think I managed to utter someting like, 'ugggg' by the time my instructor calmly said, 'go around' and applied full power.
We hit the deer pretty squarely with the wheels before climbing into the pattern and making an uneventful landing. On landing we inspected the a/c and found no significant damage...just some left over fur. The whole thing made for a few exciting moments though...

[kabz]

Armadillo on the runway at Sugar Land Municipal / Hull Field Texas.

[Onan the Clumsy]

Freaking gliders on the runway.

It's ok though as we either go over them or around them.

[G SXTY]

Regularly chase hares in a C152 (they always seem to get away):)

My favourite was the pair of alligators basking in the undershoot at Marco Island, deep in the Everglades - I decided to land long . . .