Small Hummingbird in Cockpit Causes Flight Diversion

Our site may contain affiliate links. Read Advertiser Disclosure policy here.


This weekend, a Delta Air Lines flight bound from Detroit to Atlanta was forced to divert back to Detroit an hour into the flight, due to small hummingbird that somehow snuck into the cockpit prior to takeoff.

Maintenance was called to look for the bird while on the ground but couldn’t find it, when the captain decided they would take off. However, up at 30,000 feet the bird started flying about, which caused unsafe conditions for the pilots, resulting in the decision to return to Detroit.

an airplane at an airport

Per Fox News,

The feathered culprit slipped on the plane during boarding and then made its way into the cockpit, where the captain become aware of the nuisance.

Maintenance crews were called in to help look for the bird, but it was so small neither the crews nor the captain could find it after searching for more than an hour – and delaying the flight at least that long.

The pilot initially announced to passengers that they may need to do a plane swap after they were unable to locate the bird, but ultimately decided to proceed as scheduled and fly the plane to Atlanta.

After the diversion, the bird was then removed from maintenance, however resulting in a lengthy delay forcing multiple missed connections and rebooking’s.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or suggestions expressed on this site are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed.

About Points, Miles & Martinis

Here at Points, Miles and Martinis, we love all things travel. We focus on topics relating to travel including destinations, airline, hotel, car rental and credit card reward programs. Our goal is to help people travel better. - See more at our About Us page.

Sign up for Email || Twitter || Facebook |Tips & Tricks
Hotel Offers || Airline Offers || Bank Offers || Cash Back Offers

Comments

  1. Considering the weather in Detroit. I would guess the hummingbird had flown to Detroit from somewhere warmer. So Detroit was just suppose to be a stopover for the bird.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *