In a bizarre and unprecedented incident, a routine transatlantic flight turned into an extraordinary situation when a horse on board a Boeing 747 became loose in the cargo hold. The flight, operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic and departing from New York’s JFK airport with its destination set for Liege, Belgium, took an unexpected turn shortly after takeoff.
Around 31,000 feet in the air, the flight crew discovered that the horse, presumably a part of the cargo, had become unrestrained. Faced with the challenge of securing the large animal mid-flight, the pilots made the crucial decision to divert the aircraft back to JFK.
The pilot communicated the situation to air traffic control, requesting permission to return to New York as attempts to secure the loose horse in the cargo hold proved unsuccessful. Given the potential safety risks and the crew’s inability to manage the situation during the flight, the decision was made to prioritise the safety of all on board and return to JFK.
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