A Horizon Air flight between San Diego and Paine Field was delayed due to the interference of a pelican that was sitting on the taxiway blocking the way for an Embraer E170-200LR. How did it happen? Let’s investigate further.

A pesky pelican

On April 22, an Alaska Airlines flight (AS2179, operated by Horizon Air) between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Paine Field Airport (PAE) was delayed due to wildlife interference in the airport.

A single pelican sitting on the taxiway of the airport in California was enough to delay the flight by more than 15 minutes. The large water bird was blocking the way of the jetliner which was trying to taxi to the airport.

The pilot onboard the aircraft, registration N625QX contacted San Diego Air Traffic Control to address the subject in one of the funniest exchanges in the last few months. He said,

“Sir, you are not going to believe this, but we are unable (to taxi) because of a pelican sitting here on the taxiway. He is not moving.”

After a while, a vehicle from the airport operations arrived at the rescue and forced the pelican to fly away. The whole scene was captured on video by a helicopter and tweeted on social media by Malik Earnest, an aerial reporter in San Diego.

Wildlife interference

The flight AS2179 left San Diego with a bit of a delay due to the pelican interference, according to data provided by FlightRadar24.com. It landed at Paine Field 18 minutes later than expected (after a three hour flight), therefore barely missing out on the on-time flight performance.

When we hear about bird interference in the aviation industry, we often think about wildlife strikes. That’s when a bird (or, at times, a flock of birds) collides with an aircraft. More often than not, these strikes occur while departing or landing. Nonetheless, in this particular story, there was a happy ending since the pelican left the area unharmed.

There have been other instances where certain animals have caused havoc by getting themselves onto the runway.

In June 2018, an alligator delayed a Spirit Airlines flight at Orlando International Airport (MCO) from Chicago because it was crossing the apron towards a small pond.

Every year around summer, a bunch of female terrapin turtles has to be rescued from John F. Kenney Airport (JFK) after they arrive at the terminal to lay eggs at the end of the runway. The wildlife team at the airport collects the turtles and releases them in a safe place outside the busy hub.

In 2017, a dead whale washed ashore at the end of LaGuardia Airport runway 13/31. The Army Corps of Engineers had to move the whale.

In 2020, a grizzly bear wandered onto the runway at Magadan Airport in Russia, forcing an S7 Airlines flight to initiate a go-around and delaying its landing by 20 minutes.

Alaska Horizon (Honoring Those Who Serve Livery) Embraer E175LR N651QX (2)
Horizon Air has a fleet of 30 Embraer E170 aircraft. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

The aircraft involved

The aircraft involved in the minor incident with the Pelican was an Embraer E170-200LR operated by Horizon Air. It is 4.95 years old and has CF34-8E engines manufactured by General Electric.

Horizon Air owns the aircraft, and it received it on May 18, 2017. The jetliner has a capacity of 76 passengers in a three-class cabin configuration. It has 52 seats in economy, 12 in economy plus, and 12 in business.

Do you remember more stories where an animal blocked a runway, delaying flights? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Malik Earnest, ch-aviation.