RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On New Year’s Eve, 31 December, an Avianca Airbus A319 (registered N557AV) operated flight AV29 between Orlando, United States and Bogota, Colombia.
Just after landing at Bogota Airport, however, the aircraft got hit by some sort of pyrotechnic balloon. The pilots were able to continue roll-out.
It was not immediately clear whether the balloon was carrying any actual fireworks, but it did turn out to be packed with tinsel. Long strings of colorful plastic got wrapped around the aircraft’s tail, and some apparently got into one of its engines.
Looking at the residue that left behind on the aircraft, the result could have been worse.
The Colombian aviation authorities urged people to be extra cautious during this holiday period and to abstain from using fireworks or launching hot air balloons close to airports.
