Private jet makes emergency landing after striking multiple deer on runway: 'On the nose gear and possibly on the wings'

A private jet didn't get very far after experiencing a deer strike that a pilot likened to "getting hit by lightning."

What's happening?

The Palm Beach Post reported on a private jet's emergency landing at Florida's Palm Beach International Airport that took place just 15 minutes after takeoff out of North Palm Beach County Airport.

"We are going to declare an emergency," the pilot reportedly told air traffic control at the time. "We hit about four or five deer on the nose gear and possibly on the wings."

The plane carrying seven passengers bound for Cincinnati fortunately landed successfully. The Cessna jet's surprise landing did cause some commotion at Palm Beach International. The emergency landing diverted commercial flights from the runway and delayed incoming ones.

Hitting deer is very unlikely as the Federal Aviation Administration's aircraft and wildlife strike database revealed. 97% of strikes include birds, and only 88 aircraft were destroyed or damaged irreparably from 1990-2024.

Still, the North Palm Beach County Airport is located in a wooded area, which opens up more possibilities. That is heightened when you consider that terrestrial mammals, mainly deer, accounted for 40% of the more serious animal strikes.

Local pilot Michael Leighton told WPBF 25 News that the situation was an "extremely, extremely rare event."

"I've got 16,000 flight hours, that's two full years off the surface of the Earth, and I've never hit an animal with an airplane. Can it happen? Sure. Is it likely to happen? Probably not," Leighton said.

Why is this animal strike important?

While deer strikes currently remain a rare occurrence, they do pose significant risks when they happen. If the landing gear or engines are damaged, it could prove a tremendous challenge for the pilot to get the plane down safely.

Although this may seem like an isolated case, as private jets surge in popularity, more airports are going to have to go up to accommodate them.

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Large commercial airports are often located far away from the habitats of mammals like deer or are fenced off. That might not be true for smaller airports like North Palm Beach County Airport that could increasingly encroach on wildlife. 

What might've been a once-in-a-lifetime experience to strike an animal could become more common if airports close in on animals' habitats.

What's being done about this deer strike?

The FAA is investigating the incident, but it appears the plane only suffered minor damage in the strike. Leighton called the situation "almost impossible to train for."

"You're not able to swerve left or right like you can with a car," Leighton explained.

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