A pilot from Ecuador named Ariel Valiente kept his cool after a massive bird slammed through the windscreen into his cockpit, leaving him drenched in blood.
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Warning: The following video is graphic and might be too disturbing for some readers
Who is Ariel Valiente?
Ariel Valiente, an Ecuadorian pilot, was seen in terrifying footage remaining composed when a large bird crashed into his cockpit.
Before rotating the camera to reveal his bleeding face and his air filter mask hanging to the side, the bird is shown dangling in front of him as he grips the stick.
“In Vinces, Los Ríos province of Ecuador, a huge bird struck through the windshield of a crop duster plane mid-air. Fortunately, the pilot Ariel Valiente managed to control the situation,” aviation news outlet reported as per The New York Times.
A flight instructor who characterized themselves as semi-retired wrote: “When in a stressful situation, pilots will revert to the first thing they learned. That’s why initial training is so important.”
The maxim “aviate, navigate, communicate” instructs pilots to fly their aircraft first, then navigate, and then, after the emergency is under control, communicate with air traffic control.
Although the species of bird involved in the terrifying episode remained unclear, several individuals speculated that it might have been an Andean Condor, which can have a wingspan as large as 9 feet. The terrifying encounter’s video instantly went viral.
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The airplane was compelled to return to San Andrés’ Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport, which is located in the Caribbean Sea off Nicaragua’s coast but is actually in Colombia.
An emergency landing by the Airbus A 320-214 was accomplished successfully.
In 2016, distressing images showed the damage that a bird strike had done to a Saudi Arabian Airlines airliner. A passenger in Jeddah saw a large hole in the left wing of an Airbus A333. Upon closer inspection, crew found a dead bird, maybe an eagle, embedded in the plane.
