Seagull Strikes £73m Eurofighter Cockpit at Spanish Airshow

A dramatic incident occurred at the Aire25 international air festival in San Javier, Spain, when a Eurofighter Typhoon, valued at £73 million ($85 million), collided with a seagull, shattering the fighter jet's cockpit windshield mid-performance. The collision, captured in a remarkable photo sequence by aviation photographer Javier Alonso de Medina Salguero, went unnoticed by spectators until after the event, though the pilot was unharmed and managed to land safely. Bird strikes pose significant risks to aircraft, with more than 270,000 wildlife strike reports recorded globally between 2016 and 2021, some resulting in severe damage or fatal crashes. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges posed by wildlife to aviation safety, exemplified by recent deadly bird strike accidents such as the 2024 Jeju Air crash in South Korea. The event also drew attention to previous bird-related disruptions, including aggressive seagulls affecting mail deliveries in the UK. Despite the dramatic damage to the cockpit canopy, the Eurofighter was able to avoid catastrophe, underscoring both the dangers and resilience involved in such rare collisions.