A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 returned to Raleigh-Durham International Airport Nov. 29 after hitting a coyote upon takeoff. | Forsaken Fillms/Unsplash
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 returned to Raleigh-Durham International Airport Nov. 29 after hitting a coyote upon takeoff. | Forsaken Fillms/Unsplash
Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight Tuesday will have an interesting story to tell, and while it has a happy ending for all of them, a coyote wasn't so lucky.
A Southwest plane that was flying out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) Tuesday night struck a coyote on the runway as it was taking off, according to a WTVD report. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 bound for Chicago, had to return to the airport.
There were no injuries reported among the 149 passengers and six crewmembers onboard, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson told WTVD.
The aircraft circled RDU for about 45 minutes as it waited for clearance to land, according to WTVD. It returned safely and taxied to a gate under its own power.
The crew reported striking the coyote on its 7:40 p.m. takeoff and was directed to return to the airport as a precaution. The aircraft was cleared to fly to Chicago’s Midway Airport at about 10:05 p.m.
The incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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