Passengers on board the Hyderabad-bound IndiGo flight at the Visakhapatnam airport had a close shave after a wild boar strayed onto the runway and was hit by the airplane.
The flight, 6E-742, had around 150 passengers and crew members at the time of the accident.
The incident took place as the plane was taking off. IndiGo airlines said that the pilot had noticed the boar but had no option but to hit the animal and take off.
After taking off, the pilot realised that the landing gear of the flight, failed to retract. Following this, he spent fuel hovering above the city, before he landed back at the Visakhapatnam airport.
The tyres were then cleaned on the ground, and the plane took off again for Hyderabad, at 1:00am.
"Flight 6E-742 from Vishakhapatnam to Hyderabad hit a wild boar on the runway during take-off. The captain immediately reported the matter to ATC and decided to hold over Vizag. After runway inspection, the pilot carried out a precautionary landing at Vizag airport after 45 minutes for necessary inspection," an IndiGo statement said.
"In 1972, a cheetah had entered the airport, triggering terror. There were no compound walls at the airport at that time. Now, the wild boar menace is serious. We will bring this to the notice of the civil aviation ministry and airport authorities to take immediate measures for safeguarding the welfare of air travellers," Air Travellers Association (ATA) president D Varada Reddy told the Times of India.
Meanwhile, officials planned to take steps to avoid a repeat of such an incident.
Speaking to The Hindu, Visakhapatnam International Airport Director Prakash Reddy said, "We have requested the District Collector to arrange us personnel from the Forest Department and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation to catch the wild boars suspected to be hiding in the thick vegetation in the vicinity.”