An aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after two swans smashed into the jet while it took off from Gatwick Airport.
The Tui flight was 1000ft in the air when it was struck by the birds as pilots issued a distress call following the 185mph collision.
After landing the Boeing plane which was bound for Cape Verde, the pilots needed an escort from the runway as the pilots weren’t able to see out of the windscreen.
Pictures shows that the birds dented the plane and left blood smeared over the cracked windscreen in the collision which also damaged the electronic systems.
A source told the Sun: ‘It is believed at least two giant swans careered into the jet as it reached high speed. The sheer size of the birds, and the double strike, penetrated the jet’s forward fuselage.
‘The strike breached the pressure bulkhead so the pilots couldn’t pressurise the plane.
‘It was carnage and the safety of the plane was in doubt. The pilots did a terrific job in the most testing of circumstances.’
The runway was closed as emergency services were called and later checked for debris.
It is believed that the passengers on the plane would have felt the impact.
The damage is understood to cost at £1million to fix while the plane is set to grounded for several weeks for repairs.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, there were more than 1,400 reported bird strikes with around 100 affecting flights.
Last December, 179 people died after a plane skidded off a runway as it landed and smashed into a wall following a bird strike in South Korea.
Daily Mail
