A cargo plane flying from New York to Belgium had to return to John F. Kennedy Airport after a horse broke free from its cage and ran across the interior of the aircraft, according to air traffic control audio.
The Boeing 747, operated by Air Atlanta Iceland, had just begun its flight across the Atlantic Ocean on November 9 when the pilot radioed air traffic control in Boston that the horse had escaped and was moving freely around the plane.
The Boeing 747, operated by Air Atlanta Iceland, had just begun its flight across the Atlantic Ocean on November 9 when the pilot radioed air traffic control in Boston that the horse had escaped and was moving freely around the plane.
“We have no problem flying, but we have to get back to New York,” the pilot said, adding: “We can’t put the horse back (in its place).”
The controller replied: “Received, you have been granted access to Kennedy via radar vectors.”
The pilot also said that due to the weight of the plane, he had to get rid of 20 tons of fuel before heading back to New York’s main airport.
The controller approved and warned pilots of other aircraft in the vicinity that “a fuel dump is in progress, approximately 15 kilometers west of Martha’s Vineyard.”
The Boeing 747 pilot had one more request: “I believe we need a vet — a vet, I guess that’s what it’s called — for the horse after we land,” he said. “Can you talk to New York about it?”
The controller said he would relay the message.
The interruption of the cargo flight was first reported by the TV network ABC News, which reported that the plane landed at Kennedy Airport, shortly after took off and successfully arrived at the airport in Liege, Belgium, the next morning, according to the Flight Radar portal on the 24th.
AP is awaiting comment from the airline that owns the plane.
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