Rogue Goats Ground Flights at Regional Airport, Spark Unlikely Aviation Upgrades

By [Reporter Name]

GREEN RIDGE, Colo. — A herd of 27 goats brought air traffic to a standstill at Green Ridge Regional Airport on Tuesday morning, halting operations for nearly three hours and prompting officials to reevaluate wildlife management at rural airfields.

The goats, normally employed by the county for eco-friendly brush control along the perimeter of the airport, breached a damaged section of fencing shortly after 7 a.m. and wandered onto the main taxiway and a secondary runway, airport officials said.

No injuries were reported, and no aircraft were damaged, but three arriving commuter flights were diverted and two departures delayed as ground crews, sheriff’s deputies and the animals’ owner scrambled to clear the tarmac.

“We’ve trained for birds, deer, even the occasional coyote,” said Airport Director Melissa Vaughn at an afternoon press conference. “Goats on the runway was not in the manual.”