Plane hits bird as viral videos showing engine in flames light up the internet
Columbus, Ohio - Shortly after takeoff, an accident occurred on a US domestic flight, as a Boeing 737 was hit by a bird – or several birds – and caused one of its engines to catch fire. Luckily, the pilots managed to make an emergency landing.
The incident happened on an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 flight on Sunday morning with 173 people on board, according to NBC. It had just taken off from Columbus, Ohio, and was bound for Phoenix, Arizona.
At roughly 8 AM, the plane collided with a bird, causing severe damage to its right engine, which caught fire. The pilots reacted immediately, shutting down the damaged engine and requesting clearance from the tower for an emergency landing.
The plane turned back to the airport and landed safely in Ohio, with no reported injuries. The airport fire department was on the scene.
"The flight landed normally and taxied safely to the gate under its own power," American Airlines said in a statement. "The aircraft was taken out of service for maintenance and our team is working to get customers back on their way."
The airport initially reported an engine fire, but later said "mechanical issues" prompted the aircraft's return, according to the outlet.
Both passengers on board and witnesses on the ground apparently filmed the incident.
American Airlines plane showing flames was filmed by passengers and observers on the ground
Some passengers aboard claimed to have heard a loud bang, then said the airplane started vibrating, with it all happening very quickly.
Passenger John Fisher told NBC: "Apparently we struck a flock of geese and the engine started making real loud 'clonk, clonk, clonk' noises.
"They eventually turned the engine off and turned around and went back to the airport."
One passenger described the anxious seconds onboard after the collision, reporting "people on the plane crying" to Sky News.
"My heart just broke honestly for so many people on this plane, I could hear them crying and I just wanted us all to be okay," she said.
Mid-air collisions with birds can be very dangerous for commercial aircraft, which is why many airports rely on special radar systems that detect flocks of birds before it's too late.
Cover photo: Screenshot/Twitter/@Cbus4Life