A vulture caused a dramatic and potentially disastrous moment mid-flight when it smashed through the windscreen of a small plane in Brazil, leaving its body dangling upside down inside the cockpit.
Shocking footage captured by a passenger showed the pilot calmly taxiing after landing, with the lifeless bird hanging just inches from his head.
The strike, which happened as the plane was approaching Eirunepé in the Amazonas region on Thursday morning, left a gaping hole in the windshield.
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Blood splatters and part of the large bird’s body could be seen protruding through the damaged glass, highlighting the force of the collision.
The light aircraft, carrying five people, had departed earlier from Envira Airport.
Despite the chaos and fear that gripped those on board, the pilot managed to execute a safe landing, and remarkably, no one was injured.
After the plane touched down, the vulture’s carcass was carefully removed from the windscreen.
Observers speculated that the scavenger bird had been drawn to the vicinity by the nearby rubbish dump, which serves as a feeding ground for vultures due to the abundance of organic waste.
Local reports underscored concerns about the safety risks posed by the tip’s proximity to the airport.
One of the passengers later shared their harrowing experience, stating, “We thought we wouldn’t make it out alive. It’s a miracle the pilot managed to land with that right in his face.”
The pilot echoed the sentiment, calling the event a “close call” and criticizing the landfill for attracting large numbers of vultures to the area.
This isn’t the first time a vulture strike has startled Brazilian pilots.
Just last month, another dramatic encounter was captured when a vulture collided with a helicopter’s windscreen during a flight over hilly terrain.
The helicopter pilot, Cleyson Freire, was flying an executive route from Jundiaí to São Paulo on November 15 when he spotted the bird heading straight for the cockpit.
Despite a sharp evasive maneuver, the bird hit the windshield with tremendous force.
Footage from inside the helicopter revealed the impact was so strong that an iPad, secured to the windscreen with a suction cup, flew towards Freire.
Startled, he exclaimed, “Holy sh*t! Damn, bro!” as the device narrowly missed him.
Fortunately, the polycarbonate windshield absorbed the blow, allowing Freire to retain control of the Robinson R66 and land safely at his destination.
Both incidents have highlighted the dangers of bird strikes, particularly in areas where landfills and organic waste attract scavengers near airports.
They also underscore the remarkable skill of pilots who manage to avert greater disasters in such sudden and dangerous circumstances.
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SOURCE: Vulture dangles inside cockpit after smashing through plane windscreen mid-flight
