A Russian reporter nearly got her head taken off during a live shot of a Russian TU-160 bomber landing in Venezuela.

Maria Finoshina of Russia’s RT cable news network was standing on the runway as one of the two bombers sent to Venezuela was about to touch down. As she walked toward the landing aircraft, one of the bomber’s wings narrowly passed above her head.

“Wow! Spectacular,” Finoshina yelled ecstatically as she made a tactical withdrawal from the center of the runway. Although she maintained her composure throughout the landing, she is lucky to have escaped unscathed.

“She was far too close considering her potential to be injured by turbulence from the landing jet,” said Mark Gunzinger, a retired B-52 instructor pilot who is now a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments think tank in Washington, D.C.

“I’m surprised she was allowed to do that,” Gunzinger told Task & Purpose. “Then again, the Venezuelan regime doesn’t seem to be too concerned with the welfare of its people, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Generally, it is not a smart idea to walk on an active runway as planes are taking off or landing, said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

This article by originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter.

More Articles from Task & Purpose:

- 7 Veteran-Friendly Manufacturers That Are Hiring

- The 6 Types Of Contractors You Encounter Overseas

- Here’s How Marines Fared On The New Physical Fitness Test

Image: Creative Commons.