Airlink Plane Crashes Into Large Bird on the Way to Limpopo, Propeller Blade Snaps Off

• An SA Airlink aircraft on a private flight to Limpopo collided with a kori bustard - a large bird - upon landing at Venetia Airfield
• No injuries were reported from the incident but the aircraft was damaged in several places
• The aircraft has been grounded to allow for technicians from the SA Civil Aviation Authority to conduct an investigation

POLOKWANE - Passengers and crew members on a private SA Airlink flight to Limpopo were shaken up when the aeroplane crashed into a large bird.

The collision caused a propeller blade to break off. The bird that flew into the propeller had an estimated wingspan of 2.73m and weighed 18kg. It is believed to be a kori bustard, the biggest flying bird found in Africa.

According to TimesLIVE, the crash occurred upon landing at the Venetia airfield and no injuries have been reported. However, the aircraft was damaged by the collision; precisely, a cabin window that broke when the propeller broke off and a seat was embedded with pieces of the blade.

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Airlink's response to the incident

Rodger Foster, the CEO of SA Airlink, said that he is glad that there were no injuries. He added that collisions with birds are common in the aviation industry and there is no need to be alarmed by it, DispatchLIVE reports.

The aircraft will remain grounded to facilitate an investigation by the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). SA Airlink has collided with birds before, but this is the first incident that caused damage to the aircraft.

So far, Roster has said that the hole in the cabin can be repaired but the exterior damage, such as to one of the wings, requires technicians to take a closer look.

South Africa reacts to bird flying into plane

@ALETTAHA exclaimed:

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"Wow! Very, very lucky."

@MzwaneleGobeni shared:

"Remember guys, even a small bird can cause damage and for safety reasons they can't continue with the journey."

@Krabbles_ZA asked:

"How big was this bird, or how small was this plane?"

@Deaf_Heroes said:

"That is really something, thank goodness no one was injured, may you all be blessed."

@SharonPeetz remarked:

"I would have had 10 heart attacks and wee'd!"

Video shows the moment a plane crash-lands at sea, Mzansi reacts

Speaking of plane crashes, Briefly News previously reported that the scary and all-too-real moment a plane crash-lands at sea is one most people may never be able to relate to, but those who do and live to tell the tale to speak of a sobering experience.

A video of the unexpected event was shared by a Twitter user, @PecheAfrica, giving people a look into the life-threatening situation. In addition, a passenger aboard the plane was brave enough to capture the entire incident on their phone.

The 49-second video shows the inside of the aircraft with everyone on board resigned to their seats. The plane then begins to shudder as it prepares to hit the water from a high altitude. The pilot expertly guides it onto the water's surface where, fortunately, it doesn't crash violently.

Source: Briefly News