The incident happened on Monday.

The crew and passengers on this charter flight from Johannesburg to Limpopo province had a lucky escape.

The airline said in a statement that an Airlink Jetstream 41 aircraft operating a private charter flight struck a large bird upon landing at Venetia airfield.

The large bird, believed to be a kori bustard, flew into the right-hand propeller. The Kori Bustard is Africa’s heaviest flying bird. A large male can weigh as much as 19kg and have a wingspan of 275cm.

“None of the passengers or crew were injured, although the aircraft sustained substantial damage.