The cargo flight operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic had reached an altitude of about 31,000 feet when the crew contacted Air Traffic Control in Boston to report that the horse had attempted to run away.
The plane was forced to return to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Photo: Getty
The horse was among 15 being transported to Liege and chaos broke out shortly after takeoff, according to John Cuticelli, head of the group responsible for animal quarantine and export operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The horse became frightened and jumped over the half-high fence in front of the stable and became suspended, with its front legs on one side of the fence and its hind legs stuck inside the stable on the plane.
“The horse jumped up and tried to get its front legs over the (front) fence and got stuck,” Cuticelli said. “This is only the second time in all my years that I’ve seen that happen.”
The horse was taken out after the plane landed, it lay on the ground, it was determined that its injuries were too severe to survive and it died.
Performance horses and stallions are routinely transported safely around the world without incident. But the incident highlights the inherent unpredictability of working with horses, which are jumping animals that can injure themselves unexpectedly when frightened or startled.
Mai Anh (according to CNN)
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