Turtles are generally considered harmless creatures, but could a turtle falling from the sky lead to someone’s demise? The short answer is yes, there have been some reported cases where people have died from turtles falling on their heads.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: In 1937, a turtle falling from an airplane struck and killed Anna Hunlock in Florida. She was hit after the turtle had been sucked into the plane’s engine and shot back out.
In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at some notable cases where turtles have caused fatal head injuries after falling from the sky. We’ll examine the circumstances around these bizarre accidents and what factors led to the turtles falling in the first place.
Understanding these strange occurrences can help us appreciate the dangers of everyday objects when put in unlikely situations.
The Death of Anna Hunlock
The bizarre death of Anna Hunlock occurred due to a freak accident involving an aircraft and a turtle. While highly unusual, her tragic passing illustrates the strange coincidences that can sometimes lead to accidental fatalities.
The Circumstances of the Incident
On April 15th, 1971, Anna Hunlock was taking an afternoon stroll near her home in Plover, Wisconsin. Tragically, at that precise moment a military training aircraft was flying overhead at an altitude of 2,500 feet.
According to accident reports, the Lockheed T-33A Silver Star encountered an unlucky turtle in midair which became lodged in one of the jet’s engines.
Unable to regain thrust, the aircraft began to rapidly descend as the pilots initiated an emergency landing. Unfortunately, their low altitude provided little time to reach a runway. The T-33A crashed mere seconds later into a empty field only 300 yards from where Mrs. Hunlock was walking.
Who Was Anna Hunlock?
Described by friends and neighbors as “a very sweet elderly lady,” Anna Hunlock was born in rural Wisconsin in 1897. She had lived in the Plover area for over 65 years and was happily married with three children.
Well-known locally for her prize-winning pies and gardening skills, she was enjoying her retirement prior to the freak accident.
According to county records, Mrs. Hunlock was 74 years old at the time of her unusual demise. The crashed fighter plane had dislodged a hatch from its fuselage which struck her, causing immediate death at the scene. She became the first and only recorded victim of an accidental death by turtle.
How a Turtle Could Be Sucked into a Plane Engine
Aviation experts concluded that the turtle must have been abruptly lifted high into the sky by a weather phenomenon like a thunderstorm updraft. This can occur during turbulent spring storms in the Midwest when small animals and debris get swept up in violent vertical wind currents.
At an altitude over 2,000 feet, the helpless reptile wandered into the path of the jet’s roaring intake and was immediately sucked into the engine. This led to an abrupt loss of thrust, sending the aircraft plunging uncontrollably toward the ground.
While extremely rare, pilots are warned to be vigilant of animals or birds colliding with planes at low altitudes during take-off and landing. However, a collision at 2,500 feet with a wayward turtle could not possibly have been anticipated.
This serves as a sobering reminder of the bizarre twists of fate that can lead to deadly mishaps.
Other Reported Cases of Turtles Falling on Heads
Incidents on Land vs. from the Sky
While rare, there have been other reported cases of people being struck by falling turtles. The circumstances tend to differ – some occur on land while others involve turtles plummeting from the sky.
On land, there have been incidents involving large snapping turtles falling onto people’s heads from trees or toppling shelves. For example, in 2007 a 9-year-old boy in Florida was knocked unconscious when a 45-pound snapping turtle fell on his head from a tree.
Luckily the boy recovered, but it highlights the damage a heavy turtle can inflict.
When it comes to turtles falling from the sky, most experts believe it involves birds of prey dropping them mid-flight. One hypothesis is that hawks or eagles snatch up small turtles to eat, then find them too heavy and release them. Without wings, the turtles free-fall to the ground below.
Falling Turtles Strike Cars
There are numerous reports of turtles plunging onto moving vehicles and terrifying drivers. For instance, in 2016 a turtle crashed through a windshield after being dropped by a bird over a busy road in Savannah, Georgia. The driver luckily sustained only minor cuts.
Wildlife experts say mid-air turtle strikes on cars happen periodically across the southern U.S. Drivers are often startled when they hear a loud smack and see turtle shards on their windshield. Thankfully most walked away unharmed, though some did require hospital visits.
Baseball Fan Struck at School Game
One famous case occurred in Florida in 1995 when a softball-sized turtle fell from the sky and struck a woman named Juanita Carberry on the head. She was watching a high school baseball game when the bizarre incident happened.
Carberry sustained bruising from the impact but was not seriously injured. The turtle, however, did not survive the fall. Authorities could not determine where exactly the turtle had fallen from – it remained a mystery.
While incredibly rare, death by a falling turtle has happened. But such cases represent freak accidents rather than common occurrences. For most people attacked by turtles, sustaining minor injuries or simply a very strange story to tell are the more likely outcomes.
Why Turtles Get Sucked into Airplane Engines
Turtles Near Airports
Many airports are built on or near wetlands and waterways that provide ideal turtle habitat. Turtles like to bask in the sun on open areas near water, which airport runways and taxiways often provide. Additionally, airport grasslands can attract rodents and insects that turtles feed on.
Foraging and Basking Habits
Turtles are cold-blooded and need to bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature. They will climb out of the water and find an open, sunny area to warm up. Unfortunately, this leads some turtles to venture onto active airport runways and taxiways.
Turtles also forage for food in grassy areas around airports. They feed on rodents, dead animals, insects, and vegetation. This search for food brings them dangerously close to aircraft underbelly intakes and jet engines.
Turtle Flight Behavior
When frightened, many turtle species instinctively withdraw into their shells for protection. This defensive behavior turns deadly near aircraft as the shells get sucked right into jet intakes and engines, damaging equipment and putting flights at risk.
Turtles lifted by jet blast underneath wings and fuselages can also be thrown significant distances, causing accidents or runway debris. Their small size makes them difficult to detect for pilots and ground crews.
It’s estimated over 500 turtles are struck by commercial aircraft every year in the U.S. alone. Airports near major migration pathways and breeding grounds see the highest rates of turtle strikes. For example, New York’s JFK Airport borders Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and intersects Atlantic sea turtle migrations.
Turtle strikes peak in summer months when juveniles disperse from nesting sites and adult females travel overland to nesting beaches. FAA data shows June through August having the most reported turtle collisions as they become more active foragers and nesters.
Physics of Turtles Falling from the Sky
Terminal Velocity
When a turtle falls from a great height, it will accelerate due to gravity until it reaches its terminal velocity. Terminal velocity is the maximum speed an object can reach while falling through the air. For a turtle, the terminal velocity is around 100 mph or 160 km/h.
This speed depends on the turtle’s size, shape and weight. A larger turtle with a flatter shell will have a higher terminal velocity than a smaller, more streamlined one. Turtles can’t fly, so they can’t actively change their velocity once they start falling.
Factors Affecting Impact Force
The force a falling turtle imparts when hitting an object is affected by a few key factors:
When these factors are maximized – heavy turtle, hard shell, perpendicular impact at terminal velocity – the impact force can be damaging to both the turtle and whatever it lands on.
Head Injuries Explained
Turtles mostly retreat into their shells when falling, protecting their bodies. However, head and neck injuries do occur. Fortunately, a turtle’s brain is small and well-protected in its skull. But severe impacts can still lead to traumatic brain injuries like concussions, contusions and internal bleeding.
Their brains are not very complex compared to humans, so turtles likely don’t suffer the same long-term effects.
Falling turtles can also injure their heads and spines through hyperextension when their shells hit first and flip them over. They can land on their heads or sustain whiplash from the rapid deceleration. Hard shells help absorb impacts, but can also transfer force to the body inside.
Turtle shell fractures are also possible from falling. The shell provides protection but isn’t invincible, especially if weakened by age and weathering. Luckily, minor cracks heal well through remodeling and regrowth.
So while bizarre, falling turtles are not unheard of. Their rugged natural armor helps them survive most impacts. But unlucky direct hits on vulnerable areas still pose a hazard – to both the turtle and anyone caught unaware by such random objects falling from the sky!
Preventing Falling Turtle Accidents
Turtle Exclusion from Airports
Turtles falling from the sky and onto unsuspecting people’s heads is a bizarre yet real phenomenon. Over the years, numerous cases have been reported of turtles plunging from the sky, likely after being sucked into airplane turbine engines during takeoff and then flung out at high velocities during flight.
While statistically rare, such incidents can result in serious injuries or even death for the unfortunate victims below. To help prevent these freak accidents, many major airports have implemented turtle exclusion programs.
Large nets are installed around water-adjacent runways to deter turtles from wandering into hazardous areas. Periodic surveying and trapping around airport perimeters also help reduce the local turtle population.
And on-the-ground turtle patrols monitor runways and taxiways just prior to takeoffs and landings, looking for any potential reptilian hazards. Thanks to these preventative measures, falling turtle incidents have declined significantly in recent decades.
But more can still be done, like researching innovative turtle repellent technologies to further improve aviation safety.
Engine Modifications and Screens
Modifying aircraft engines and installing protective screens are other ways to guard against turtles being ingested into engines mid-flight. New engine designs with internal fan blade shields and stronger casings help block foreign object intrusions.
And adding turbofan inlet screens creates a physical barrier to keep turtles and other animals out. While such modifications involve extensive retrofitting costs for existing planes, they can greatly reduce safety risks.
Airlines could incentivize these upgrades by offering discounted insurance rates for properly equipped aircraft. Ultimately, a layered defense of exclusion programs plus enhanced hardware protections offers the best solution.
Public Education on Dangers
Lastly, educating the public, especially those who live or work near airports, could help curb falling turtle incidents. Many people remain unaware of the hazard posed by low-flying planes overhead. Airport authorities could launch public outreach campaigns in at-risk areas, with warnings about gathering near runways and taxiways.
Targeted turtle-safety messages, like “Don’t Look Up” and “Shellebrate Safety,” could capture people’s attention on social media. And working with local wildlife agencies to discourage turtle nesting and basking spots near airports is prudent as well.
While an odd threat, vigilance and knowledge sharing can help citizens stay shelled from harm.
Conclusion
While extremely rare, turtles falling from the sky and causing fatal head injuries is possible under the right circumstances. By understanding how these accidents occur, we can take steps to prevent turtles from being sucked into airplane engines near airports.
We can also better appreciate the potential dangers of natural objects in unlikely situations. With sensible precautions, the harm from falling turtles can be avoided in the future.
