Jetliner hits bear on runway in Southeast Alaska, state officials say
YAKUATA, Alaska โ It was anything but a regular landing for an Alaska Airlines jetliner when it struck a brown bear early Saturday evening, according to airline officials. Alaska Airlines flight 66 hit and killed a bear while landing here in Yakutat last night. The Boeing 737-700 struck and killed a brown bear sow, but its cub, thought to be roughly 2 years old, was uninjured, Dapcevich said. Dapcevich said employees undergo annual wildlife hazard training and use pyrotechnics or vehicles to herd animals away from the area when needed. He said it was dark out when the plane landed, and crews followed normal procedure checking the runway Saturday.