Queen Consort Camilla is staying in India for ten days to relax. But it’s already over on the flight home: when landing in London, a bird crashes into the nose of the Boeing 777. Videos and pictures reveal a bloody dent in the machine.
Since the death of Elizabeth II, Queen Consort Camilla has had appointment after appointment. The next big one is already on the calendar: on May 6, King Charles III. and Camilla to be crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. So time for a little rest. Camilla is said to have relaxed in India for ten days. Private, as they say. Camilla did not fulfill any public appointments during her stay in south Indian Bengaluru.
But the recovery was already over on the flight home to Great Britain. According to information from the “Daily Mail”, the plane in which the 73-year-old queen was on board was hit by a bird and severely damaged the nose.
According to the report, the Boeing 777-200ER from British Airways had taken off from Bangalore and was approaching London Heathrow shortly before 1 p.m. local time on Friday afternoon when the bird strike occurred. A clear dent on the nose can be seen on video recordings made by aircraft enthusiasts of the machine.
Buckingham Palace has not yet commented on the incident. However, it is known that Camilla suffers from a fear of flying. According to the “Daily Mail”, she refused to board a small private jet a few years ago. At many starts, she is also supposed to squeeze the hand of her husband Charles. “Honey, please don’t be so hard,” the new British king is said to have called out during a particularly bumpy flight.
Bird strikes are not uncommon in aviation. According to British Airways, there was never a risk that the Boeing 777-200ER could crash. The plane landed safely and all passengers were able to disembark as usual, a spokesman for the airline said. The aircraft is now being examined more closely, but it is assumed that it can soon be reintegrated into normal operations.
