Deer Hits American Eagle Plane. Has To Make Emergency Landing

An American Airlines regional jet that was taking off at Charlotte Douglas International Airport struck a deer at about noon Wednesday, causing the crew to declare an emergency and return to the airport. The American Eagle plane was headed to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, in Mississippi, with 44 passengers and four crew members, aboard, American spokeswoman Katie Cody said. The CRJ-700 struck the deer during its takeoff roll. The flight crew declared an emergency and then did a flyover so personnel on the ground could inspect it for damage prior to attempting a landing. “5320, you are showing you’re trailing some kind of vapor or something off the right wing,” an air traffic worker can be heard telling the flight crew on an air traffic recording from the Charlotte Douglas tower. “We copy and we understand,” the flight crew replies. The jet landed on runway 18 Left/36 Right, and passengers evacuated on the runway. They were returned to the terminal on buses, Cody said, and no injuries were reported.  Source