FedEx plane makes emergency landing in US after bird strike, engine fire
The incident follows a series of major North American aviation disasters that have put a spotlight on flight safety issues
A FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at a busy New Jersey airport on Saturday after a bird strike caused an engine fire that could be seen in the morning sky.
The plane landed at Newark Liberty International Airport during the emergency, said Lenis Valens, a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. There were no reported injuries, and fire on the cargo plane was contained to the engine, Valens said.
Audio recorded by LiveATC captured a person calmly saying the aircraft needed to “shut down for a possible bird strike” immediately. “We need to return to the airport.”
Moments later, another person is heard saying: “We believe we saw their engine fall off the right wing.” The audio indicates the strike happened when the plane was several hundred feet off the ground.
The emergency landing caused air traffic to be briefly halted as a precaution, and operations resumed shortly after, Valens said. The emergency landing happened just after 8am. Three people were on board and all deplaned safely, Valens said.
A spokesman for FedEx said the plane was headed for Indianapolis but due to the bird strike “declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark after dealing with the resulting engine damage”, which included an engine fire.
“The training, expertise, and professionalism demonstrated by our FedEx pilots was exemplary. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders,” said the spokesman, Austin Kemker.