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Disturbing video footage of a pilot from Ecuador covered in blood went viral on social media on June 15. The pilot, Ariel Valiente, was seen remaining composed after a large bird crashed into the cockpit through the windscreen of his aircraft. The incident took place in Venice, Los Ríos Province.
Content Warning: The following video contains a graphic description of blood, which some people may find too disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
In the video, which was filmed by the Ecuadorian pilot himself, he showed the remains of the dead bird and its talons dangling in front of him while he was holding the stick. He then turned the camera towards himself to show his face drenched in splashes of blood while his air filter mask was hanging to the side.
The species of the bird that crashed through the cockpit is not yet known. Some have speculated that it could be an Andean Condor, a giant South American Cathartid vulture with a wingspan of up to 10 ft. Aviation authorities are yet to determine the route of the aircraft and its altitude at the time of the incident. The enormous bird was said to have died within a few minutes of the impact.
The footage of the Ecuadorian pilot was shared by several outlets as well as some Twitter users. One user, Ryder Brown, replied to the tweet shared by Latest in Space and wrote that the Ecuadorian pilot tried to unlock the "aerial assassin" achievement.
Netizens react to Ecuadorian pilot's terrifying footage
Soon after the video of the Ecuadorian pilot went viral, the internet praised the pilot for keeping his calm in such a situation and continuing to fly the aircraft. Some people were curious to know the bird's name as they said it was massive.
A few people said that this was one of their legitimate fears while flying in an aircraft. Some also felt sorry for the bird.
A flight instructor wrote online that when pilots are in stressful situations, they revert to the first thing that they learned. This is why initial training is so crucial, the instructor continued.
Pilots are trained to adhere to the dictum: aviate, navigate, communicate. According to this axiom, a pilot needs to fly the plane first, then navigate, and when the emergency is under control, then speak with air traffic control.
Other aviation incidents caused by birds
Back in April, a passenger plane pilot was compelled to carry out an emergency landing due to a similar incident. A bird flew into one of the aircraft’s engines. The incident took place during the flight of Avianca Airlines' AV9377. It was headed from San Andrés Island to Colombia’s Bogotá.
Video footage of the incident showed flames shooting out of one of its engines shortly after it took off. The flight was forced to return to the Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés, located in the Caribbean Sea off the Nicaraguan coast.
In 2016, shocking photos showed the damage a bird strike caused to a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight. A passenger spotted a gaping hole in the left wing of the Airbus A333. On closer scrutiny, a dead bird, seemingly an eagle, that was embedded in the aircraft was discovered by staff.
