An American Airlines plane was forced to return to the airport in Columbus, Ohio, USA, after a collision with a bird in the air caused a fire in one of its engines on Sunday morning, April 23, 2023.
The airline confirmed that one of its Boeing 737 planes collided with a bird, causing a mechanical problem, after which flames erupted from one of the plane’s engines, according to what was reported by the American network “CNN” on Monday (April 24)
"The bird struck the engine of an American Airlines passenger plane from Columbus, Ohio to Phoenix, Arizona."
— Justartsandstuff 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@justartsndstuff) April 24, 2023
Nightmare fuel.. pic.twitter.com/Hls49KDG4K
The FAA also said the Boeing 737 designated Flight 1958 had departed Columbus for Phoenix before the crew reported a possible bird strike at around 8 a.m. local time.
The Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the plane returned safely to John Glenn Columbus International Airport, and said: “Emergency crews responded to an aircraft accident involving a reported engine fire.”
A video uploaded to social media showed flames coming from the engine of an American Airlines plane after a bird apparently struck the engine shortly after it took off from the airport in Columbus, Ohio pic.twitter.com/l7DvZtSZ46
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 24, 2023
While John Glenn Columbus International Airport said in a statement posted on Twitter: “The plane landed safely and the airport is open and operational.” The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident.
American Airlines said in a statement: “The flight returned safely to Columbus due to a mechanical issue. The flight landed normally and safely entered the gate under its own power. The aircraft was taken out of service for maintenance purposes, and our team is working to return customers on their way to Phoenix.”