Horse on the Loose Forces Plane to Return to JFK
Chaos mid-flight: A horse breaks free in cargo hold of a Boeing 747 en route from JFK to Belgium, prompting an unexpected return to New York
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On November 9, a horse escaping from the cargo hold caused a Boeing 747 traveling from New York JFK to Liege, Belgium, to change its course and return.
The horse, which managed to partially break free from its stall during the flight, had to be put down due to the severity of its injuries, as confirmed by two individuals knowledgeable about the incident.
The cargo flight, operated by charter airline Air Atlanta Icelandic, had reached an altitude of approximately 31,000 feet when the crew contacted Air Traffic Control in Boston to inform them about the horse's escape.
"We don't face any issues with flying," one pilot mentions in a video recreated by the YouTube channel "You Can See ATC." However, they add, "we are unable to secure the horse back."
A spokesperson from Air Atlanta Icelandic confirmed the accuracy of the information in the "You Can See ATC" video to CNN.
Turbulence struck and the horse jumped
During the flight to Liege, which serves as a major import hub for Europe, turbulence unexpectedly hit when the plane had just taken off. This incident was reported by John Cuticelli, the head of the corporation in charge of managing animal quarantine and export operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The horse became startled and leapt halfway over the tall front barrier of the stall, getting stuck with its front legs on one side and hind legs trapped inside the stall.
"The horse leaped and successfully cleared the (front) barrier, but then got wedged," Cuticelli remarked. "In all my years of experience, I've only witnessed this happen once before, and we handle thousands of horses annually. It's a very unfortunate occurrence, but the horse was clearly frightened."
Air Traffic Control grants the pilot's request to return to JFK Airport and acknowledges the need to dump 20 tons of fuel east of Nantucket due to the aircraft's excessive weight. Additionally, the pilot requests a veterinarian to be present upon landing, citing a distressed horse onboard.
Cuticelli mentioned that they provided veterinary care, animal handlers, medical equipment, horse slings, a horse ambulance, and all the essential items needed to assist the horse. In order to do so, they had to remove the remaining horses temporarily to make way for the equipment and to successfully extricate the injured horse.
The animal was euthanized after it was determined that its injuries upon landing were too severe to survive, according to Cuticelli. CNN could not verify the details of the horse's injuries. A spokesperson for the shipping company responsible for the horse's transportation refused to provide a statement.
A near-impossible task
Performance and breeding horses, such as racehorses and show horses, are frequently transported worldwide without any issues. However, this incident underscores the unpredictable nature of working with horses, as they are prone to injuring themselves when they are frightened or startled.
Flight grooms, who are in charge of caring for horses on board, would face almost insurmountable challenges in trying to safely return the animal to its stall while in mid-air. This is due to the logistical setup for transporting horses on planes. Specifically, horses are loaded onto the ground and secured within large, tightly locked shipping containers, each containing three narrow stalls. These containers are then stacked together inside the plane, eliminating any possibility of opening the stall door during the flight.
Despite this limitation, horses are able to extend their heads over the front barrier of the stall, enabling flight grooms to provide them with food, water, and access to their heads. However, it is important to note that the gangway for this purpose is narrow.
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Furthermore, the horse's weight, averaging around 1,000 pounds, made it impractical for flight grooms to manually return the horse to its stall.
After the diversion, the flight managed to resume its journey approximately three hours later than planned, according to the flight history on FlightRadar24.com. It eventually arrived in Liege on November 10 at 6:49 a.m. local time.
When it comes to animals getting loose on planes, this incident stands out as a significant example, but the occurrence of critter issues in flight is surprisingly frequent.
In October 2023, an otter and a rat caused chaos by escaping from hand luggage on a VietJet flight from Bangkok. Similarly, passengers on a flight from Baghdad to Dubai experienced a bear cub breaking free from its crate. The video capturing the incident can be watched here. Additionally, in April, a South African pilot had to make an emergency landing as a Cape cobra crawled up his shirt, posing a deadly threat.
