Footage Shows Alaska Airlines Flight Strike Multiple Deer While Landing, Damages Aircraft

A wild landing in Alaska took a dangerous turn.

An Alaska Airlines flight struck at least two deer while landing at Kodiak Benny Benson State Airport early Thursday morning, prompting cancellations and aircraft repairs.

Flight 231, a Boeing 737, had just completed a short 39-minute trip from Anchorage and touched down around 8 a.m. when the incident occurred. Eyewitness footage captured the moment the aircraft collided with the deer on the runway.

A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the plane suffered damage to its main landing gear, which now requires repairs on-site in Kodiak. As a result, all passenger flights in and out of Kodiak were canceled for the rest of the day, and travelers were rebooked on other routes.

Audio from LiveATC.net revealed the tense moments as the pilot spotted animals on the runway during landing:

Pilot: “There is deer on the runway.”
Tower: “Roger, do you have an idea of where they are at currently?”
Pilot: “The intersection.”

Airport crews later closed the runway to remove the remains. At least three deer were involved—two were killed, and one managed to escape.

Local residents Graham and Erin Edwards, who were filming the flight from Beacon Hill—a popular spot to watch landings—had no idea what they’d captured until they reviewed their footage later. While waiting inside the terminal for Graham’s sister Victoria and her family to deplane, they heard the announcement of an “animal strike” and assumed it was a bird—until they rewatched the video.

“Holy smokes, there it is, man! Just right in front of her face!” Graham said.

Passengers on board, including Victoria and Ryan Walton, said the landing felt unusually abrupt but didn’t immediately realize what had happened. They chalked it up to the airport’s shorter runway—until news of the deer strike broke.

Despite the initial confusion, everyone on board was safe, and airport officials are continuing their investigation into how the deer accessed the runway.