The outcome could have been different chas v’sholom as a large bird slammed into the plane. The Arkia Airline crew decided on the unscheduled landing in the air force’s Uvda Base. There were no injuries among the 72 military personnel on board.

After landing they were able to assess the damage to the plane’s body. Officials report there was no danger to the crew at any time and stress the landing was unscheduled but not an emergency landing.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)