This is the way a passenger plane was left with a huge hole in its nose after being hit by a bird as it took off from an airport in Brazil.

Astonishingly, the pilot continued with the 85-minute flight from Sao Jose do Rio Preto Airport.

A video of the nose cone taken after the ATR 72-500 twin-engine turboprop landed at Sao Paulo shows the bird buried head first in the fuselage.

The scheduled flight – operated by Voepass Linhas Aereas, the fifth-largest domestic airline in Brazil – took place on 22nd December.

It is not clear how many were on board at the time, but the plane’s standard configuration is 68 seats.

Thousands of bird strikes take place every year and, in the overwhelming majority of cases, do not compromise the flight’s safety.

However, if engines are damaged, pilots are advised to land at the nearest airport.

Local media reported that, in this case, the pilots would likely have noticed the strike but decided that it was safe to complete the flight.

According to reports, the landing took place without hitch and only then was the extent of the damage to the plane verified.