JetBlue plane makes emergency return to Rhode Island after wildlife strike

A JetBlue flight was forced to return to T. F. Green Airport in Rhode Island shortly after takeoff on Tuesday morning, March 24, after the aircraft struck a coyote on the runway, according to passengers and airline officials.

Flight 1129, bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport, had just departed when passengers heard an unusual impact. “We heard a thud,” passenger Erin Drozda from Woonsocket told WPRI-TV, as per US media.

Drozda said the aircraft remained in the air for about 10 to 15 minutes before the crew addressed the situation. “We were up in the air for about 10-15 minutes and then all of a sudden the captain came on and said, ‘This is the flight crew. If anybody heard that thud, we hit a coyote,’” she recalled.

The Airbus A320 then turned back to Providence so maintenance teams could inspect the aircraft for any potential damage caused by the wildlife strike.

Passengers initially struggled to believe the announcement. “We thought it was actually a joke at first. We were like, is that code for something else? What’s going on? We didn’t know,” Drozda said. “We thought it was actually a prank to be honest with you, because I mean you don’t ever hear that.”

After landing, emergency services responded to the aircraft. According to Drozda, firefighters and other first responders met the plane on the runway, while police and emergency medical personnel boarded to ensure no one had been injured. Passengers were asked to disembark temporarily while crews conducted a full inspection.

No injuries were reported, though Drozda said she missed a connecting flight to Costa Rica due to the incident.

In a statement, JetBlue confirmed the aircraft returned “out of an abundance of caution.” “On Tuesday, March 24 JetBlue flight 1129 with service from Providence (PVD) to New York (JFK) returned to Providence out of an abundance of caution following a report of contact between the aircraft's landing gear and wildlife on the runway while taking off,” the airline said. “The flight landed safely and a full inspection was done on the aircraft with no issues reported.”

Airport officials said the runway remained open and that the incident did not disrupt other flights. The plane later departed for New York the same morning.

By Tamilla Hasanova