Delta says a bird likely caused nose damage on OKC Thunder flight

By now, you have seen the pic of massive nose damage from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s chartered flight. The nose had a massive dent and looked like The Incredible Hulk punched the plane’s nose in.

While the plane landed safely and without issue, players were understandably concerned at what exactly could cause that kind of damage. Was it a UFO? Was it a piece of space debris coming down to earth? A Delta Airlines spokesperson claimed it was likely a bird that caused the damage as the plane descended to land.

“Delta flight 8935, operating from Minneapolis to Chicago-Midway as a charter flight for the Oklahoma City Thunder, likely encountered a bird while on descent into Chicago. The aircraft, a Boeing 757-200, landed safely without incident; customers have since deplaned and maintenance teams are evaluating. Safety is Delta’s top priority.”

It may not seem like a reasonable explanation that a bird caused that kind of damage but I have to imagine it’s possible. I’m not trying to scare people from getting on an airplane ever again but if a plane is going 500 mph, even the smallest thing could cause damage. An article was posted about a police officer hitting a deer with a cop car while going 114 mph while responding to a call. Hitting animals at high speed can cause major damage.

Knowing that, planes are designed to withstand that impact. So while that plane looks bad and it’ll probably cost Delta some money to fix the nose, the nose can crush and the plane can still be operational enough to land without incident. It might make the plane less aerodynamic and result in a bit more fuel used but that’s usually taken into account and there’s no worries, except for the poor, obliterated bird.

[The Oklahoman]