A private jet carrying music legend Sir Elton John and his family experienced a tense moment during takeoff when a large bird of prey flew toward one of the aircraft’s engines.
The Sun reported that the terrifying incident unfolded on Friday, January 23, as the plane sped down the runway at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire while preparing for departure to Paris.
A Hawk Appears During High-Speed Takeoff
Victor Boyko/Getty Images for ValentinoThe aircraft, a Boeing 737, was moving at nearly 160 mph when a “huge” hawk suddenly dove toward the plane just seconds before liftoff.
The moment came as the jet neared its critical decision speed, the point at which a takeoff must continue unless an immediate danger is detected.
Veteran pilot Duncan Gillespie, who frequently flies John, later described the split-second tension in a Facebook post.
“I had to make a judgment call yesterday, getting airborne out of Farnborough airport, and I’m not shy to share it with you,” Gillespie wrote.
Pilot Describes ‘Unorthodox’ Life-Saving Maneuver
Gillespie said the jet was approaching its V1 speed, the point at which pilots are typically committed to continuing a takeoff, when he suddenly saw the bird.
“Taking off with a 25 knot crosswind, we were just passing our V1 decision speed, after which I’m obliged to take off, when I saw a huge hawk diving at us – there were two of them, I think he was protecting his mate.”
He wrote that the moment forced an unprecedented call. “For the first time in my flying career I made the decision to delay getting airborne to pass under the bird.”
Gillespie added that both pilots believed the outcome could have been severe had they rotated as planned.
“My colleague and I were both of the clear opinion that if we’d have rotated when we should have, we’d have taken the hawk through the left-hand engine.”
Reflecting on the incident later, Gillespie said the decision likely prevented significant damage.
“We dodged a bullet yesterday, with the original Rocket Man and his family on board, and I’m proud of the very unorthodox procedure which we used to avoid a major incident, saving millions of dollars in damages.”
Cockpit Audio Captures the Close Call
GettyA video recorded from inside the cockpit captured the tension in real time. Gillespie can be heard reacting instantly, saying, “bird… [expletive]!”
As the aircraft continued its takeoff roll, he added, “We’d have whacked.”
His co-pilot reacted to the close call, identifying the threat as a falcon and describing the bird’s size in blunt terms.
Moments later, Gillespie confirmed the near miss, saying, “We just missed a bird there,” before notifying air traffic control, “Big bird, big hawk, we missed…”
For Gillespie, the moment highlighted the critical role of human judgment in aviation, especially in situations where split-second decisions matter most.
“Now this is the kind of decision only a human could make; there’s no way a machine could ever make such a decision,” he wrote.
Bird strikes continue to present a safety risk in aviation, particularly during takeoff and landing, when even a single impact can cause significant damage.
John, who retired from touring in 2023, was traveling with his family at the time of the infamous Farnborough incident.
Thanks to that split-second judgment, the flight continued safely, turning what could have been a catastrophic event into a narrowly avoided disaster.
I am so glad they made the right decision. Saved the bird and the plane. People need to understand the birds were airborne for millions of years, we are encroaching on thier space. Just like us taking over forests and such. Great Pilots right there!!
Totally agree with you! Wildlife were here first!