Passenger jet damaged after crashing into brown bear on runway in Southeast Alaska

A cub miraculously survived the accident that killed one adult bear

Two bears were seen walking on the runway, an adult and a cub (AFP via Getty Images)

An Alaska Airlines passenger plane ran over and killed an adult brown bear but miraculously missed its cub in an incident on Saturday night in the southeast of the state.

The plane suffered damage from the collision during landing at Yakutat Airport, the airline said in a statement, though passengers and crew members were unharmed.

The accident occurred after ground crews failed to spot the two bears walking on the runway in the dark during normal checking procedures.

"The nose gear missed the bears, but the captain felt an impact on the left side after the bears passed under the plane," Alaska Airlines said.

The two-year-old cub accompanying the bear came away unscathed, confirmed Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesman Sam Dapcevich.

The body of the bear was spotted lying about 20 feet (6m) from the centre of the runway by the pilots after they taxied the plane into a parking area.  

The left engine cowling of the jet has been damaged in the crash and the airline said repair work was underway.  

While officials said there were previous reports in Alaska of planes hitting deer, geese, caribou and other animals, Mr Dapcevich said this was the first incidence he was aware of where a bear has been struck.

The remote Yakutat Airport is only partially enclosed by a fence. Staff receive wild animal training and are taught to use vehicles and lights to herd wildlife away from active infrastructure.  

Additional reporting by agencies