WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: The TUI flight was left covered in blood and animal body parts after striking a bird in mid air, forcing it back to its departure site at London’s Gatwick Airport
A TUI airways plane has been left covered in blood and body parts after striking a bird in-mid air. The grim sight was posted on social media, and shows the outside of the front of the Boeing 737 Max covered in thick blood and animal parts, while the view from the inside of the cockpit shows the windows almost entirely obstructed.
The flight took off from London Gatwick earlier today (Friday) but returned shortly after the strike. According to Air Plus News: “After safely returning to Gatwick, the aircraft required a ground escort due to the condition of the wind shield.”
No update was given on the condition of the plane, or what happened to the passengers, but the Daily Star has reached out to TUI for a comment.
The incident comes weeks after a TUI flight attendant suffered a grim fall from a plane and had to be taken to hospital.
Emergency services were called to East Midlands Airport on December 16 following reports a flight attendant had fallen from a plane. The TUI team member is said to have expected the stairs to still have been attached to the aircraft as they opened the door while the plane was preparing to depart.
A witness said to Nottinghamshire Live that the flight attendant “opened the door, took a step out and the stairs that were supposed to be there were not there for whatever reason”. The witness said they heard that the flight attendant “fell to the tarmac” and that they heard they were “seriously injured”.
A spokesperson said: “An accident which occurred at East Midlands Airport on Monday 16th December was notified to the AAIB.
“An investigation has been launched and inspectors have visited the airport to gather evidence and make enquiries to understand more about the circumstances.”
A spokesperson for East Midlands Ambulance Service said: “We received a call at 4.31pm on 16 December to a medical emergency at East Midlands Airport. We sent a paramedic in a solo response car and an ambulance. The air ambulance was also in attendance. One patient was taken by ambulance to Queen’s Medical Centre.”
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