Bush Pilot’s Plane Strikes Flock of Birds During Takeoff in Alaska

In Alaska, a small propeller plane collided with a flock of willow ptarmigan, leaving the hull of the aircraft marked with blood and feathers. The incident occurred on September 26 as Mark Schwantes, a big game hunter and experienced commercial fishing captain, was preparing to take off for Anchorage.

While getting ready for flight, Schwantes noticed a flock of the birds, which are Alaska’s state birds, near the runway. “Typically, they scatter when a plane starts up, but this time, they lingered a bit too long,” Schwantes recounted to SWNS. “Just as we were going airborne, about half a dozen flew up in front of us and hit the propeller.”

Schwantes, surprisingly unfazed by the collision, continued the flight without incident. He explained that he had confidence in the plane’s ability to handle the impact and was able to maintain control. Although the plane sustained no apparent mechanical damage, the aftermath of the collision left the aircraft spattered with the remains of the birds.

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