Plane makes emergency return to JFK airport after horse breaks free in cargo

A Boeing 747, which had departed from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport and was en route to Liege, Belgium, was forced to return on November 9 after a horse went loose inside the cargo hold.

The horse, which momentarily ran away from its stall onboard, was euthanised because of the extent of its injuries, as per reports.

The cargo flight, which was being run by charter airline Air Atlanta Icelandic, had climbed nearly 31,000 feet when Air Traffic Control was contacted by the crew in Boston and the issue of escape of horse was reported.

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“We don’t have a problem (…) flying-wise,” stated one of the pilots, in a video which was shared by the YouTube channel “You Can See ATC,” but “we cannot get the horse back secured".

Speaking to CNN, a representative from Air Atlanta Icelandic confirmed that the information shared in the “You Can See ATC” video is correct.

Horse jumped after turbulence struck the flight

The horse was one of the 15 animals being transported to Liege, which is Europe's import hub.

As per John Cuticelli, head of the corporation responsible for operating animal quarantine and export at John F Kennedy International Airport, turbulence struck the flight shortly after its takeoff.

The horse got spooked by the turbulence hit and jumped halfway over the stall's high front barrier and was hung up, with his hind legs trapped on the stall's inside and his front legs on one side of the barrier.

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“The horse jumped and managed to get its two front legs over the (front) barrier and then got jammed. It’s only the second time in all the years I’ve been doing this that I’ve ever seen that happen. And we do thousands of horses a year. A very unfortunate event — but that horse was spooked," Cuticelli stated.

In the recordings shared, Air Traffic Control was heard granting the request of the pilot to return to JFK Airport. The pilot also demanded that a veterinarian be sent inside the plane after it lands because “we have a horse in difficulty.”

Cuticelli stated, “We dispersed veterinary care, animal handlers, medical equipment, horse slings, a horse ambulance, everything necessary to accommodate that horse. We had to take the other horses out to get the equipment in to get the horse out."

Cuticelli said that once the animal was present on the ground, it was euthanised as it was found that its injuries were too severe to survive.

(With inputs from agencies)