The American Eagle CRJ-700 was headed to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, in Mississippi, with 44 passengers and four crew members on board when the aircraft hit a deer during its takeoff roll. The flight crew declared an emergency and then did a flyover so personnel on the ground could inspect it for damage prior to attempting a landing.
Picture: https://twitter.com/airlivenet
Air traffic control alerted the pilot to a vapour trail from the right wing and TV stations also showed damage to one of the right front wing flaps of the CRJ700 jet. Emergency personnel met the aircraft upon landing and sprayed foam on the aircraft as a precaution. All passengers were evacuated safely and taken back to the terminal on buses.
Charlotte Douglas spokeswoman Lee Davis said the airport will evaluate how the deer got on the runway as part of its wildlife management plan. Surrounded by over 19 miles of barbed wire-topped perimeter fencing, Charlotte Douglas is also ringed by thousands of acres of wooded land conducive to deer.
