Jet Strikes Alligator During Takeoff Forcing Emergency Landing

A private jet carrying five people was forced to make an emergency landing in South Carolina after striking an alligator during takeoff, turning what should have been a routine flight into a bizarre aviation scare.

The unusual collision happened Friday, November 6, at Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island, where an Embraer Phenom 300 was preparing to fly to Teterboro, New Jersey.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration and local police reports, the aircraft struck the reptile while accelerating down the runway, raising immediate concerns that its landing gear may have been damaged.

Rather than continue the trip to New Jersey, the pilots diverted to nearby Charleston International Airport, where emergency crews were prepared for the aircraft’s arrival.

The jet landed safely, and all five people aboard, including three passengers and two pilots, escaped injury. An initial inspection found no visible damage to the aircraft.

The alligator, however, did not survive. Airport personnel removed its remains from the runway following the collision.

The aircraft was taken to Atlantic Aviation for inspection and was cleared to depart the following day. Flight-tracking records show the jet subsequently completed a flight from Charleston to Teterboro on November 7.

The aircraft, registered as N665UP, was operating for Wheels Up, a private aviation company backed by Delta Air Lines.

Although an alligator crossing an airport runway might sound like something out of a movie, the incident highlights a genuine aviation hazard in the southeastern United States.

Charleston Executive Airport is surrounded by marshes, wetlands, retention ponds and waterways that provide natural habitats for alligators. Those conditions make encounters between wildlife and aircraft a recurring safety concern.

And this is hardly the first time an alligator has caused trouble at an airport.

In 2017, a plane struck and killed an estimated 11-foot, 500-pound alligator while landing at Orlando Executive Airport in Florida. More recently, an alligator sighting temporarily disrupted operations at Orlando International Airport on November 2.

The FAA maintains a national wildlife-strike database to track collisions involving aircraft and animals. While birds account for the overwhelming majority of reported strikes, larger animals on runways can pose particularly serious risks during takeoff and landing.

The FAA is expected to investigate the Charleston incident.

For the five people aboard the private jet, the unexpected encounter ended safely. But the collision served as a startling reminder that even on an airport runway, pilots can face hazards far beyond the usual turbulence and weather.