Not all heroes wear capes! An Ecuadorian airline pilot pulled off a heroic act when a bird smashed straight into the cockpit and injured him. However, the aviator named Ariel Valiente, kept his calm and continued to steer the flight while being drenched in blood.
The video of the incident is now going viral on social media and people from across the world are praising Valiente for his perseverance and calm attitude. Bird strikes are a major threat to airplane safety and airlines are still figuring out ways to eliminate the accidents.
Blood-Covered Pilot Continues to Fly Plane After Cockpit Gets Smashed by Bird
In the clip doing the rounds on the internet, a huge dead bird is seen hanging in the front of an airplane cockpit, while the flight is being controlled by an injured pilot. Valiente recorded the video and turned the camera toward himself, showing how he maintained his cool and ensured a safe flight despite his face and clothes being covered in blood.
The incident took place in the city of Vinces in Los Ríos province of Ecuador, some 10,000 feet above the ground. It is not yet clear what sort of bird hit the airplane, however, some people believe that it could be an Andean Condor, which has a wingspan of about 9 feet.
Aviation news outlet FL360aero first shared the video and wrote, “In Vinces, Los Ríos province of Ecuador, a huge bird struck through the windshield of a crop duster plane mid-air. Fortunately, the pilot Ariel Valiente managed to control the situation.”
Social Media Hails Ariel Valiente
A number of social media users, including fellow air pilots, have hailed Valiente as a hero, while others described the incident straight out of a horror movie. “Damn straight outta horror movie. Love how calm the pilot is looking, badass,” wrote a user.
Another tweeted, “Pilot lands safely in Ecuador after a HUGE bird strike… bird remained stuck in windshield! Crazy video!” A third wrote, “when suddenly an unexpected large and very feathered passenger found himself in his cockpit. He had to continue the flight, despite such force majeure.
Another penned, “And yeah depending on the size of the bird and the plane it can cause some significant damage to the airframe. Otherwise usually we get engine failures caused by birds. This one was one of the unique incidents though lol.”
Bird Strikes are a Major Threat to Airplane Safety
Bird strikes have consistently posed a safety threat to airplanes. Just a few weeks ago, a Fly Dubai airline caught fire midair after being hit by a bird. The incident took place at the end of April, shortly after the flight bound from Nepal to Dubai took off from Kathmandu airport.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was carrying 167 passengers and got hit by a bird in one of the engines. The fire was put off eventually, and the plane landed safely, with none of the people onboard suffering any injury.
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