During an airshow held in Spain last month, a seagull collided with a fighter jet, shattering the cockpit glass into pieces. The price of this fighter jet is approximately 127.5 billion won. Due to a single seagull, repairs costing hundreds of thousands of dollars became inevitable. This moment was captured in photographs and quickly became a hot topic.

Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet. Photo by AP Yonhap News

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On June 15 (local time), the Eurofighter Airshow was held at San Javier Air Force Base in the Murcia region of Spain. King Felipe VI of Spain attended the event in person, and the air forces of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy showcased spectacular fighter jet flight demonstrations. While the audience's eyes were fixed on the sky, a Eurofighter Typhoon from the 11th Fighter Wing of the Spanish Air Force suddenly collided with a seagull during flight. In an instant, the glass (canopy) in front of the cockpit shattered, and parts of the aircraft were also damaged due to the impact. However, the pilot calmly controlled the aircraft and managed to land safely without injury.

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This scene was accidentally captured by aviation photographer Jaiver Alonso de Media Salguero, who was photographing at the event. He said that after hearing over the radio during the airshow that "a fighter jet has collided with a seagull and the cockpit is damaged," he checked each of his photos one by one. As a result, he found that he had captured the exact moment when the front of the cockpit was shattered. He expressed his astonishment, saying, "It was hard to believe what I saw in the photo."

On the 15th of last month (local time), during the Eurofighter Airshow held at San Javier Air Force Base in Spain, a fighter jet collided with a seagull, shattering the cockpit glass. Photo by Javi As99

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The Times of the United Kingdom reported that "if a fighter jet flying at near-supersonic speeds collides with a seagull, the impact energy is powerful enough to destabilize the aircraft." The report also noted that such collisions are even more dangerous during low-altitude maneuvers, and that replacing the cockpit glass alone can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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'Bird strike' refers to accidents in which birds collide with aircraft, and in the United States alone, more than 13,000 cases are reported annually, making it a common occurrence. However, incidents where the cockpit glass is shattered are extremely rare, and The Telegraph noted that capturing such a moment in a photograph is even more exceptional. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), there were more than 270,000 bird strike incidents worldwide between 2016 and 2021, with over 8,000 of these having a serious impact on the aircraft.

This incident reminded us that a single bird can cause billions of won in damage and pose a safety threat at the same time.

'Bird strike' is a warning that should never be taken lightly.