JFK-bound flight has to turn around after plane hits coyote on tarmac

New Yorkers have grown accustomed to bird strikes forcing passenger jets to turn around — or land in a river. But a coyote on the tarmac?

That’s so Rhode Island.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that JetBlue flight 1129, an Airbus A320 heading to JFK International Airport in Queens, had to turn around because it hit a coyote upon takeoff.

The incident happened shortly before 7 a.m. The plane returned safely to Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. There were no immediate reports of injuries, nor was there a status update on the coyote.

The FAA keeps a database of so-called “wildlife strikes.” It uses voluntary reports from pilots, airlines, air traffic control and others to analyze trends, wildlife movements, and the efficacy of wildlife management plans.

The agency’s annual wildlife strike report covers data from 1990 to 2024. According to that annual report, an emergency landing is the most reported negative effect. Aborted take-off is the second-most negative.

When it comes to terrestrial mammals hit in plane strikes, coyotes and deer account for most of those. Various species of birds are most commonly hit by planes while arriving at or departing from an airport.