Crash in North Carolina
Pilot Lifted Right Wheel to Avoid Turtle
Earlier this month, a preliminary investigation found that the pilot involved in a fatal crash at a U.S. airport, which resulted in two deaths after a failed landing, had attempted to avoid a turtle on the runway.
According to the New York Times and other U.S. media outlets on June 20 (local time), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated in its interim report that the pilot tried to avoid a turtle on the runway during the crash of a light aircraft at Sugar Valley Airport in North Carolina on June 3. The accident, which occurred at 11:45 a.m., resulted in the deaths of the pilot and one passenger, and left another passenger seriously injured. The aircraft involved was a Universal Stinson 108, a four-seat light airplane.
According to the interim report, while the plane was preparing to land, the air traffic controller informed the pilot, "There is a turtle on the runway." Shortly after, the pilot lifted the right wheel of the aircraft after landing in an attempt to avoid the turtle. Both wings then began to rock back and forth, and the plane took off again, but crashed into a wooded area about 75 meters away, broke apart, and caught fire.
However, it has not yet been confirmed whether the pilot's action of lifting the wheel to avoid the turtle directly led to the crash. The NTSB explained that it may take another one to two years before the final report is released.
Meanwhile, there have been previous cases where turtles appeared on runways and disrupted aircraft operations.
On September 24, 2021, at around 11:30 a.m., a turtle approximately 30 centimeters long and weighing between 2 and 2.1 kilograms appeared on the runway at Narita International Airport in Japan. At the time, a pilot spotted the turtle on the runway and reported it to the control tower, resulting in a 12-minute runway closure. The departures of five aircraft were delayed by up to 15 minutes. The turtle was believed to have come from a reservoir next to the runway, was safely captured, and returned to a nearby habitat. Afterward, Narita Airport authorities installed nets at the reservoir to prevent turtles from entering the runway and also set additional traps to capture turtles.
Similarly, at airports such as John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and Miami Airport in Florida, sea turtles sometimes mistakenly wander onto runways during the summer nesting season while searching for sandy beaches to lay their eggs.
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