FIRST ON WWAY: Flight from ILM turns back, canceled after hitting coyote during takeoff

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A flight leaving Wilmington International Airport last night had to turn back after it hit a coyote during takeoff.

American flight 5224 was scheduled to leave for Charlotte-Douglas International Airport around 8 p.m. when it happened.

“We had a coyote on the runway,” a pilot is heard telling an air traffic controller. “We hit it.”

Airport Director Julie Wilsey said the flight took off, circled and landed safely a few minutes later. No one on board was hurt. The plane had to be towed back to the terminal. Wilsey said the flight was canceled and passengers rebooked.

“The piloting command and the crew made that decision to circle and come back and land. Everything landed, they landed safely. Our role, the airport’s role is, of course, clearing the runway,” said Wilsey.

Wilsey says ILM has a wildlife mitigation plan to try and avoid things like this that mostly includes scaring the animals away. She says typically the sound of an approaching plane is enough to chase animals off the airfield. She says the airport also has a contract with the US Department of Agriculture to help with mitigation.

“It’s a continuous process, and our employees are out there looking at all times, doing everything we can to mitigate the wildlife and also harass them so that they don’t come into contact with aircraft,” said Wilsey.

Wilsey says a flight leaving ILM has never hit a coyote before, but the airport has been keeping an eye on coyotes on the airfield.

“We have personnel here throughout the night. They handle incidents like this. This is certainly a unique incident, but they handle events in the evenings and do it safely,” said Wilsey.

A passenger on the flight, who asked not to be identified, told WWAY the landing was normal.

“Pilots and crew were very professional the whole time,” he said in a message.

Wilsey says American Airlines has mechanics at ILM today checking out the plane and working to decide if it can fly.

Coyotes are not uncommon in the Wilmington area. Residents in the Pine Valley area say they see the animals more frequently near their homes and they are not easy to scare away.

Last winter a video of what appeared to be a coyote running through Kings Grant went viral online.