Seagull Smashes Into Cockpit of Fighter Jet During Airshow

A photographer captured the terrifying moment a seagull smashed into the cockpit of a military jet.

Aviation photographer Javier Alonso de Medina Salguero unknowingly captured the moment the pilot of a Eurofighter jet collided with the bird. The incident occurred during a Spanish Air Force air show on June 15 at San Javier Air Base in Murcia, Spain. 

“I was at the base in the San Javier area, at the site where they took us photographers. We were watching the Eurofighter display when we saw it leave without finishing the display,” the photographer told SWNS. “They reported over the radio that it had hit a seagull and broken the cockpit. Just then, I looked at the photos I had and saw the whole sequence.”

He added: “Luckily the pilot landed and was unharmed.”

The four consecutive photos show the seagull shattering the $98 million jet’s canopy, leaving a hole in the windshield.

According to the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), bird and wildlife strikes are a common occurrence. There have been about 292,000 wildlife strikes in the U.S. between 1990 and 2023, per the department. From 1988 to 2024, there have been 499 human fatalities and 361 aircrafts destroyed due to wildlife strikes worldwide. 

Earlier this year, a FedEx cargo plane had to make an emergency landing shortly after it was set ablaze from hitting a bird. 

The Indianapolis-bound flight departed Newark Liberty International Airport on March 1. Shortly after take-off, the flight made a sudden return to the airport due to a “bird strike,” the airport told PEOPLE. FedEx also confirmed the aircraft hit an animal.

A video shared to X appears to show the collision caused the plane to catch on fire, with flames burning near one of the wings as it touched the ground. Another video allegedly shows the plane burning while still in the air as it slowly made its descent. 

At the time, the FAA shared plans to investigate the incident.

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The flight that became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” was also caused by a bird strike. In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 hit a flock of birds shortly after takeoff forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River in New York City.