American Airlines flight engine catches fire after bird strike

An American Airlines' flight caught fire after a bird strike incident, according to reports.

As per reports, the plane took off on Sunday from an Ohio airport and was headed to Phoenix but had to return to the airport after the incident. There is no information yet on how many passengers and crew members were aboard the aircraft.

According to reports, fire was detected in one of the engines shortly after the American Airlines flight 1958 departed from John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus around 7.45 am. The Boeing 737 plane then returned to the airport, where firefighters quickly doused the flames.


The airline said the plane was taken out of service for maintenance and it was working to get the passengers on other flights.

Airport officials said the facility remained operating as usual and the fire only caused some minor flight delays.

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to investigate the matter.

Bird and animal strike incidents are considered one of the most potent threats to flight operations. Aircraft collisions with wildlife annually cost the aviation industry millions of dollars in direct damage and associated costs in terms of aircraft down-time.

In August 2019, a flock of seagulls struck the engines of Ural Airlines' Moscow-Simferopol flight, following which the plane crash landed in a cornfield, injuring 74 passengers.

FAQs
What is bird strike?
Bird strike is a collision between birds and and an aircraft.

Why bird strikes are significant?
Bird and animal strike incidents cost the aviation industry millions of dollars in direct damage and associated costs in terms of aircraft down-time.

Are bird strikes common?
Bird strikes normally happen during takeoff or landing. There were also reports of bird strikes at high altitudes. According to Wikipedia, there are over 13,000 bird strike incidents annually in the United States alone.