A Boeing 737 Max was forced to make an emergency landing back at Chicago O’Hare Airport on January 13 shortly after takeoff because of damage it sustained on the runway. The issue? It was damaged during takeoff when the United Airlines plane hit a coyote on the runway.
A United flight from O’Hare to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport landed back in the Windy City just 40 minutes after taking off, reports Business Insider. The Boeing 737 Max’s front right nose gear was damaged in a collision between the plane and a coyote on the runway. After taking off and climbing to 6,000 feet, the 737 Max looped twice before being called back to O’Hare where emergency equipment was on hand to inspect the damage it sustained, as BI reports:
United confirmed the incident to Business Insider, saying the plane, operating as Flight 1727, “safely returned to Chicago O’Hare International Airport to examine the aircraft after its landing gear struck a coyote during takeoff.”
The plane had 167 passengers and six crew on board, United said. There were no injuries reported.
The pilot reportedly said the plane had hit “a pretty big animal” during its rotation takeoff sequence at O’Hare. The collision damaged the nose and landing gear, added local news outlet ABC 7, however, the incident was classified as minor damage according to a Federal Aviation Administration report into the incident.
Once the landing gear was inspected by engineers at O’Hare, the plane was cleared for takeoff just four hours later, added Business Insider.
Bird strikes are usually the biggest wildlife risk to airlines, and today actually marks 16 years since a bird strike forced a US Airways flight to land in the Hudson River. In recent years, wildlife strikes with airplanes have increased, according to the FFA, which attributes the rise to much quieter engines now being used on commercial jets.
Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft can’t catch a break right now after a door plug blew out the side of one of the planes mid-flight early last year. Since then, the plane was caught up in a government probe into safety concerns at Boeing and another bird strike meant that a 737 Max couldn’t pressurize back in November.