Report Details

Carrier: Delta Air Lines

Flight Number: 0014

Date and Time of Incident 04 October 2011 – 7:30 AM

Type of Incident: Death

Description of Animal Breed: Domestic Short Hair cats Age: 4 and 14 years

Description of Incident: Two cats had expired upon arrival at Frankfurt International Airport. The cats were traveling with their owner and missed their booked flight the previous day. The pets were held overnight in a commercial kennel where they were offered food and water. A dog traveling on the same flight arrived without incident. The aircraft was checked and all systems associated with cargo bin ventilation were found to be working normally. The flight crew indicated that all system controls were normal. Necropsies were performed. The translation of the necropsy for the first cat (4 years old) indicated the cause of death was a result of acute circulatory failure due to transport related stress. The vet indicated the animal was overweight at 8.26 kgs.
The second cat (14 years old) also suffered from circulatory failure due to transport related stress. The cat had endocardial fibrosis which resulted in damage to the lungs and liver. Both cats had subcutaneous injection hemorrhages detected on their hind legs.

Cause of Incident: Unknown

Corrective Action Taken: No corrective action indicated.