Airliner hits brown bear while landing in Southeast Alaska

Officials say an Alaska Airlines airliner struck a brown bear as it landed early Saturday night, killing the animal and causing damage to the plane

YAKUTAT, Alaska – An Alaska Airlines airliner struck a brown bear as it landed early Saturday night, killing the animal and causing damage to the plane, officials said.

None of the passengers or crew on the plane were injured in the crash at Yakutat airport in southeast Alaska, The Anchorage Daily News reported.

The Boeing 737-700 killed the brown bear sow, but an approximately 2-year-old cub was not injured, said Sam Dapcevich, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport and Public Facilities of the Alaska.

Airport crew members cleared the runway about 10 minutes before the flight’s scheduled landing, Dapcevich said. The aircraft landed after dark and the crews followed normal runway check procedures.

Staff did not see any signs of wildlife during the check, but the pilots spotted the two bears crossing the runway as the jet slowed down after landing, Dapcevich said.

“The nose gear missed the bears, but the captain felt an impact on the left side after the bears passed under the plane,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement.

The pilots saw the bear lying about 6 meters from the center of the runway as the plane taxied to a parking area just before 6:30 p.m., the airline said.

The number of passengers on the flight was not immediately clear. The plane took off from the city of Cordoba and was supposed to stop in Juneau after leaving Yakutat.

The aircraft’s left engine cowl was damaged and the aircraft remained in Yakutat on Sunday.

“Our maintenance technicians are working to fix the aircraft, which will take a few days,” Alaska Airlines said.

The airport is partially enclosed by a fence. Employees undergo annual wildlife hazard training and use fireworks or vehicles to ward off animals, the newspaper reported.

Planes have reportedly struck deer, geese, caribou and other animals in Alaska in the past, but Dapcevich said it was the first time he knew of a bear being struck.

Yakutat airport crew members cleared the bear carcass from the runway. The Alaska Fish and Game Department was to recover the remains, Dapcevich said.