Jet Airliner on Runway Hits Deer Mid-Takeoff

An American Airlines flight was taking off from Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina when it hit a deer and had to return to the airport.

The CRJ-700 was loaded with 44 passengers and headed for Mississippi when it struck the deer during takeoff. The crew declared an emergency and circled around for a damage inspection.

“We had a loud bang, we’re coming back,” said the pilot to an air traffic controller. “OK, we think you hit – somebody that was passing said it was a deer,” was the response.

The passengers were evacuated and returned to the terminal. It was discovered the the plane was leaking jet fuel, so it was towed away and sprayed with flame retardant.

I'm assuming that the deer did not make it.