You don’t expect to see deer getting hit by a plane when checking flight updates. But that’s exactly what stunned viewers witnessed when a viral video captured an Alaska Airlines jet hitting several deer during landing at Kodiak Benny Benson State Airport on Thursday.
The Boeing 737, flying in from Anchorage on a quick 39-minute hop, touched down around 8 a.m. local time. What should’ve been a routine rollout turned into a tragic wildlife encounter, as at least two deer wandered onto the runway and met a devastating end.
The plane managed to stop safely. The passengers and crew walked away unharmed. But the same couldn’t be said for the deer, or the aircraft.
Pilots had spotted the animals right before landing and warned the tower.
“There is deer on the runway,” the pilot calmly said, as captured in air traffic control audio shared by LiveATC.net.
The tower tried to get a better read. “Roger, do you have an idea of where they are at currently?”
“The intersection,” came the reply.
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 hit a few deer while landing at Kodiak Airport pic.twitter.com/7cYX8aUTlQ
— Planesanity (@planesanity) July 25, 2025
Seconds later, the plane rolled over the runway, right through the deer. A video clip shared on X shows the moment of impact, a shocking, jarring scene that ends with the plane slowing to a stop.
Alaska Airlines confirmed the incident. “An inspection found damage to the aircraft’s main landing gear that will require repairs in Kodiak,” a spokesperson said. The plane hasn’t moved since, according to FlightAware.
Airport staff temporarily shut down the runway to clear the remains. At least two deer bodies were found, and flights in and out of Kodiak got canceled for the rest of the day. Travelers were rebooked.
On the tower recording, an airport worker could be heard saying, “The pilots need to come down and look at this… if you can just give them a shout.”
The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident.
According to FAA data, animal collisions with aircraft happen more than most realize. Over 22,000 wildlife strikes were reported last year across the U.S. Kodiak Airport saw five, all birds. Deer strikes happened more than two dozen times nationwide, alongside some eyebrow-raising ones in 2024: alligators in Florida, a mongoose in Hawaii, and even a badger in North Dakota.
