Chicago, IL – On Monday, a United Airlines Boeing 737 Max struck a coyote while departing from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The flight, with 167 passengers and six crew members, returned to the airport 40 minutes later to ensure the plane had suffered no significant damage.

As reported by Business Insider, nobody on the plane was injured in the incident, but the Max 737 suffered damage to the right nose gear. The plane, originally bound for Phoenix, departed four hours later.

While coyote “strikes” are not common, bird strikes are. In the United States, there are typically around 10,000 to 15,000 bird strikes with aircraft reported each year. However, the actual number may be higher, as not all bird strikes are reported. These incidents are usually documented through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bird Strike Database, and while many of them are minor, some can cause significant damage or even lead to accidents.

(stock image of coyote via Pixabay)

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