There was one cat-related incident on a U.S. domestic flight in August, when a cat escaped its kennel while being transferred between flights, according to U.S. Department of Transportation statistics released last week.
In an Aug. 25 incident, a passenger aboard United Airlines flight 211 from Boston to Denver checked a kennel containing a large cat. After the aircraft arrived, the cat was offloaded to be transferred to United Airlines flight 43 from Denver to Honolulu.
The cat escaped the kennel during the ramp transfer. Afterward, the kennel was inspected and the door was found ajar, according to a United Airlines incident report.
One locking post was found outside its socket and the second locking post was broken, which made kennel door unsecured. It was not determined if the second locking post was broken prior to flight or how the second locking post became ajar.
The airline’s report questioned whether the kennel was sturdy enough for the flight. Ultimately, the airline determined that no corrective action was warranted because all its standard procedures were followed. The missing cat was never located.
From January through August of this year there were a total of 19 animal fatalities — mostly dogs — during air transport, according to Department of Transportation statistics. There also were seven animals injured and six pets lost.