Elton John's Jet Dodges Hawk Mid-Runway, Pilot Praised for Quick Thinking
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News18•01-02-2026, 23:52
Elton John's Jet Dodges Hawk Mid-Runway, Pilot Praised for Quick Thinking
- •Sir Elton John's private jet narrowly avoided a bird strike at Farnborough Airport on January 23.
- •A large hawk dive-bombed the Boeing 737 as it sped down the runway towards Paris with Elton John and his family aboard.
- •Pilot Duncan Gillespie delayed take-off at the critical V1 speed, allowing the jet to pass beneath the bird, an 'unorthodox' but crucial decision.
- •Gillespie stated that rotating at the scheduled time would have likely resulted in the hawk being ingested into the left engine.
- •This incident follows a 2022 scare where Elton John's jet experienced hydraulic failure and aborted emergency landings due to Storm Franklin.
Why It Matters: Elton John's jet had a close call with a hawk, averted by the pilot's quick, unconventional decision.
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