The pilot was praised by social media users for landing the plane safely.
A video circulating on social media shows a pilot covered in blood after a bird crashed through the windshield of the aircraft he was flying. The gruesome footage shows the large blood, with the lower part of its body, along with the talons, dangling down the cockpit amid strong winds. What has surprised the users on social media is the calm demeanour maintained by the pilot as he brings the plane down. The incident took place in Ecuador, as per several news outlets that posted the clip online.
The plane landed safely on the ground, as per Russia Today. The pilot has been identified as Ariel Valiente.
"Pilot safely lands his plane after a huge bird struck his windshield in the Los Rios Province, Ecuador. Ariel Valiente was not injured during the incident," said the text of one of the tweets.
The clip generated a lot of responses on Twitter.
"So lucky, I knew an airline pilot that lost his eye when this happened," commented one user. "I've heard of roadkill, but never have I seen or heard of airkill," tweeted another.
"This guy is a legend," said a third user, praising the calmness shown by the pilot.
Reacting to the video, a user who describes himself as a flight instructor, said on Twitter: "When in a stressful situation, pilots will revert to the first thing they learned. That's why initial training is so important."
It is not immediately clear whether the blood belongs to Captain Valiente or the bird.
There is also no information about what kind of bird was involved in the frightening incident, but some people suggested it may have been an Andean Condor, which can have a wingspan of up to nine feet.