In a heart-stopping incident that could have ended in catastrophe, Sir Elton John's private jet was forced into an emergency manoeuvre to avoid a massive bird of prey during take-off. The pop icon, aged 78, was aboard the Boeing 737 with his family when the dramatic event unfolded at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire.
"We'd Have Whacked": Pilot's Terrifying Close Call
Cockpit footage from the flight reveals the tense moments as pilot Duncan Gillespie spotted what he described as a "huge hawk" diving directly towards the aircraft. The plane was accelerating down the runway, approaching its critical V1 decision speed, when Gillespie made the split-second choice to delay take-off.
Audio from the recording captures Gillespie's urgent exclamation: "delay... bird... oh s**t" as he reacted to the imminent threat. As the aircraft eventually became airborne, he remarked "we'd have whacked" before his co-pilot responded with shock: "F***ing falcon, that was a big a** bird!"
Human Judgment Versus Automated Systems
Reflecting on the incident on his Facebook page, Gillespie explained his unprecedented decision-making process. "For the first time in my flying career I made the decision to delay getting airborne to pass under the bird," he wrote. "My colleague and I were both of the clear opinion that if we'd have rotated when we should have we'd have taken the hawk through the left hand engine."
The experienced pilot emphasised the human element in aviation safety, stating: "Now this is the kind of decision only a human could make; there's no way a machine could ever make such a decision." He described the manoeuvre as "very unorthodox" but necessary to avoid what could have been a multi-million dollar disaster with the legendary musician and his family on board.
Not the First Aviation Scare for the Music Legend
This incident marks the second time in recent years that Sir Elton John has faced aviation drama. In 2022, his private jet experienced hydraulic failure during a flight to New York, forcing an emergency return. The situation was compounded by Storm Franklin's 80mph winds, which caused the £66million Bombardier Global Express jet to abort two landing attempts before finally touching down safely on the third approach.
Emergency services surrounded the aircraft upon landing, with sources indicating the singer was "shaken" by the experience. One insider described the scene: "The jet was being buffeted and couldn't land. It was horrible to see."
The Deadly Reality of Bird Strikes
While fatal bird strikes remain relatively rare, history demonstrates their potentially catastrophic consequences. The deadliest incident occurred just two years ago when Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok crash-landed in South Korea after encountering a flock of Baikal teal ducks during its landing approach. The disaster claimed 179 of the 181 people on board.
Perhaps the most infamous bird strike in aviation history happened in October 1960 when Eastern Airlines Flight 375 collided with a flock of starlings shortly after take-off from Boston's Logan International Airport. The impact destroyed one propeller engine and compromised two others, causing the plane to plunge into Boston Harbour within 20 seconds and claiming 62 lives in what remains America's worst bird strike disaster.
Aviation experts continue to monitor the increasing frequency of bird strikes as urban development encroaches on natural habitats and climate patterns shift migration routes. The incident involving Sir Elton John's private jet serves as a stark reminder of the constant vigilance required in aviation safety and the invaluable role of human judgment in crisis situations.
