American Airlines Strikes Geese After Takeoff, Video Shows Fiery Aftermath
A Boeing 737-800 headed to Phoenix from John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio was forced to turn around for an emergency landing Sunday after geese reportedly flew into one of its engines.
Flames were visible both from inside the aircraft and from the ground, as video shared on social media showed.
“Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire,” the airport said in statement. “The aircraft landed safely and the airport is open and operational.”
Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire. The aircraft landed safely and the airport is open and operational. pic.twitter.com/EeCJzfbVjA
— John Glenn Intl Airport (@columbusairport) April 23, 2023
The airport later issued a “correction” to that statement, saying that the plane “experienced mechanical issues, not an engine fire.”
Commercial aviation safety analysis company JACDEC tweeted video taken from the ground that apparently showed American Airlines flight 1958 with flames intermittently coming from one engine on its right wing, as well as images of the plane after its return to the airport in Columbus.
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 (N972NN, built 2015) safely returned to land at Columbus-Intl AP (KCMH), OH after flames and smoke was seen coming from the right engine. Flight #AA1958 to Phoenix landed back on runway 28L 25 minutes after take-off. No one was hurt. @Cbus4Life… pic.twitter.com/YsAxsJ3D1O
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) April 23, 2023
#AA1958: post landing images are showing traces of bird impacts on the #2 engine cowling and right wing leading edge. @GreaceMonkey98 pic.twitter.com/SVsGZjvkta
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) April 23, 2023
Reuters obtained video it was was from the inside of the aircraft, also showing flames coming from the same engine.
“OK, obviously, everybody, we’re having a little situation,” a flight attendant can be heard saying over the planes public address system.
“This is a good time to review that safety briefing card in the seat-back pocket in front of you,” she added.
One passenger responded to that idea with, “Oh, wow,” while others appeared to laugh at the suggestion.
Pilots of an American Airlines flight turned the plane around shortly after it took off from the airport in Columbus, Ohio, after an apparent bird strike caused the engine to catch fire pic.twitter.com/ih45zfGFq1
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 24, 2023
John Fisher, a passenger on the flight, told WCMH in Columbus that the pilot attributed the problem to “a flock of geese.”
“Apparently we struck a flock of geese and the engine started making real loud ‘clonk, clonk, clonk’ noises,” Fisher told the outlet. “They eventually turned the engine off and turned around and went back to the airport.”
WCMH said that American Airlines later confirmed that a “bird strike” had caused the issue.
“Airport officials said the emergency landing caused only minor flight delays and that the airport remained open and operational during the incident,” the outlet reported.
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