Elton John’s Private Jet Nearly Crashes into ‘Giant’ Bird

Sir Elton John and his family narrowly escaped disaster when their private jet was almost taken out by a giant bird of prey during takeoff — a heart-stopping scare that left even veteran pilots shaken.

The music icon, 78, was aboard a Boeing 737 leaving Farnborough Airport for Paris on January 23 when a massive hawk suddenly dive-bombed straight toward the aircraft at the exact moment it hit V1 — the point of no return.

Pilot Duncan Gillespie had only a split second to choose between committing to the takeoff or risking a catastrophic engine strike. Cockpit footage captured him barking “delay… bird… oh s***,” as the co-pilot shouted back in disbelief about the “big a**” falcon hurtling past their windshield.

Gillespie later revealed the close call involved not one but two aggressive birds and said that if he had rotated normally, the hawk would have slammed directly into the left engine — a hit that could have triggered a major aviation emergency. He shared the footage online, admitting it was the first time in his entire career he’d ever made such a gut-level call.

Miraculously, the jet still clawed its way into the air, and everyone aboard — including Elton and his family — made it safely to cruising altitude.

The dramatic scare comes as Elton continues to battle severe health issues, including the devastating infection that left him blind in his right eye in 2024. The superstar says he’s clinging to hope as doctors search for breakthroughs, while husband David Furnish revealed that experimental treatments have brought small improvements to Elton’s left eye.

Through it all, Elton says his spirits are lifted by celebrity pals like Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, and Keith Richards, who send messages and FaceTime check-ins to keep him smiling.