A cargo plane heading for Belgium was forced to return to New York City after a horse escaped from its crate on board.
The horse became loose on the Boeing 747 cargo plane within 30 minutes of the plane’s initial takeoff, according to the audio clips from air traffic control that were reconstructed on YouTube, ABC News reported.
“We have [a] live animal … horse … on board the airplane,” the plane’s pilot told air traffic control.
“We need to return back to New York. We cannot get the horse back secured,” the pilot said, adding that flying the plane was not a problem.
The pilot also requested a vet for the horse upon the plane’s return to the John F Kennedy airport in Queens, but the pilot did not elaborate on possible injuries sustained by the horse.
The plane also had to dump 20 tonnes of fuel into the Atlantic Ocean “approximately 10 miles west of Martha’s Vineyard”, due to the weight of the plane.
Once the plane landed, the pilot requested assistance with the horse on the plane’s ramp.
“We have a horse … in difficulty,” the pilot said.
Air Atlanta Icelandic, the plane’s operator, did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
This latest incident is not the first time an animal has escaped its cargo stall while onboard a plane.
In August, a bear escaped from its crate on a flight operated by Iraqi Airways that was departing from Dubai to Baghdad, Associated Press reported.
Video footage of the bear went viral, showing the animal walking around the plane’s cargo compartment.
In the video, aircraft staff are seen petting the bear in an attempt to keep the creature calm. The bear was later sedated and removed from the aircraft, but customers complained online that the trouble with the bear caused major travel delays.
An unnamed Iraqi Airways official later confirmed to AP that the bear was transported to Baghdad in the end.
