Plane hits cow, skids off runway in Indonesia

[August 08, 2013]  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- A Lion Air jet carrying 117 people hit a cow while landing and skidded off a runway in eastern Indonesia, an official said Wednesday. No injuries were reported, but the incident forced the cancellation of flights, stranding hundreds of passengers traveling for the Eid holiday.

The incident occurred Tuesday night as the Boeing 737-800 plane was landing at Jalaluddin airport in Gorontalo on Sulawesi island with 110 passengers and seven crewmembers, Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said. He said three cows were on the runway, and the plane hit at least one of them and careened off the runway before coming to a stop. The condition of the cows was unclear.

The incident is under investigation.

An airport official said several flights were canceled and planes resumed landing on Wednesday.

In April, a Lion Air plane belly-flopped into the ocean just short of the runway off the resort island of Bali. All 108 people aboard survived.

[Associated Press]

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