By Canadian Press

A cargo plane returns to JFK Airport after a horse escapes its stall, pilot dumps 20 tons of fuel

Nov 15, 2023 | 12:50 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — A cargo plane headed from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Belgium had to return to JFK after a horse escaped its stall and got loose in the hold, according to air traffic control audio.

The Boeing 747 operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic had just started its flight across the Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 9 when the pilot radioed air traffic control in Boston and said that a horse on board had escaped its stall.

“We don’t have a problem as of flying-wise but we need to return, return back to New York,” the pilot said, according to the audio obtained by You Can See ATC. “We cannot get the horse back secured.”

The controller responded, “Roger, you are cleared to Kennedy via radar vectors.”

The pilot said that due to the plane’s weight, he had to dump 20 tons of fuel before going back to New York.

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The controller gave the OK and alerted nearby pilots about a “fuel dumping in progress approximately 10 miles west of Martha’s Vineyard.”

The 747 pilot had one more request. “I do believe we need a vet — veterinarian, I guess you call it, for the horse upon landing,” he said. “Is that something you can speak to New York about?”

The controller said he would pass it on.

The cargo flight disruption was first reported by ABC News, which said the flight landed at Kennedy, took off a short time later and successfully arrived at Liege Airport the next morning, according to FlightRadar24.

A message seeking comment was sent to Air Atlanta Icelandic.

The Associated Press