As a bear stumbled onto the runway, a S7 Airlines A320-200N Reg:VQ-BRI with flight number S7-5219 throughout Russia reached nearly a grizzly end. Fortunately, until it was too late, the conscientious flight crew observed the Baloo bumbling and facilitated a go around. Around 20 minutes later the flight successfully landed.
The flight was on Monday 17 August and flew from Novosibirsk to Magadan, a journey of less than 4,000 km taking about five hours’ flight time. The plane eventually moved some 30 minutes beyond time, leaving without incident from Novosibirsk (OVB).
The S7 Airlines aircraft with registration VQ-BRI, about two-year-old Airbus A320neo. The aircraft made a decent time on the flight and was just five minutes behind schedule on the final approach to the runway in Magadan.
On the runway, at 500 feet above the ground, the crew noticed something unusual. The runway wasn’t busy with another aircraft; instead, on the runway, there was a big bear.
When the bear was fortunately noticed until it was too late, the crew instituted a go around. Around twenty minutes later the S7 Airlines aircraft finally arrived, the reigning bear already crossed the runway by then.
Animals onto runways could cause a serious threat for airlines, especially those landing at more remote locations. An approach missed by an AirAsia A330 flight in Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal, nearly two years ago. Upon noticing the activity of 3 dogs together on the runway, the crew was directed to go around and thus the aircraft did a missed approach procedure. The aircraft departing from Kuala Lumpur, made a successful landed after some time.
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