An Alaska Airlines jetliner struck a brown bear while landing in Alaska on Saturday night.
- The bear died in the crash.
- The plane suffered damage as a result of the accident, NBC News reports.
- Crew members and passengers were not hurt or injured from the incident, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
- A cub — believed to be 2 years old — with the brown bear survived the incident.
How it happened:
Airport crews cleared the runaway about 10 minutes before the flight landed. The plane landed in the dark, though. Still, crews followed all the procedures to make the landing happen, according to NBC News. The staff said they did not see any wildlife on the runway before the plane landed.
- “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 said in a statement, according to NBC News.
Extra details:
The Yakutat Airport has a partial enclosure to keep wildlife out, per The Independent. However, staff members there receive wildlife training in case they have to deal with animals flooding the runway.
- “Staff receive wild animal training and are taught to use vehicles and lights to herd wildlife away from active infrastructure,” according to The Independent.