Terrified passengers were forced to make an emergency landing after a bird flew into the engine of a jumbo jet at 30,000ft after take off from London Heathrow. “It was terrible for everyone. No one knew what happened and then panic broke out.” The plane landed safely
A plane was forced to turn back after one of its engines was shut down yesterday (Monday) by a bird that entered it at an altitude of 30,000 feet. Many firefighters waited on the runway while a United Airlines plane made an emergency landing. One of the passengers said: “It was terrible for everyone. No one knew what happened and then panic broke out.”
Flight UA883 took off for Newark, New York at 8:10 am yesterday. The plane was over the coastline of the Essex region of England when a bird entered the engine. The plane was forced to make a sudden U-turn and returned to Heathrow at 9:20 am local time.
The United Airlines company told the British newspaper The Sun in response: “Our team at London Heathrow provided assistance to United Flight 883 which returned to Heathrow following a bird strike. The plane landed safely and the passengers disembarked as usual. We are making efforts for our customers to complete the flight as soon as possible “.
Birds are a threat to aircraft, especially if they are swallowed by the engine. Although 65 percent of them do not cause serious damage to aircraft, they are considered a major risk to flight safety – and always fatal to the animals involved.