FedEx Plane Catches Fire in Air Before Emergency Landing
Originally appeared on E! Online
A FedEx cargo plane has made an emergency landing after one of its engines caught fire mid-air after hitting a bird.
The aircraft, a Boeing 767, was headed from Newark, New Jersey to Indianapolis, Ind. and landed back Newark Liberty International Airport less than 10 minutes after takeoff, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Videos of the burning plane in flight were shared on social media.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement after the aircraft landed. "FedEx Flight 3609 safely returned to Newark Liberty International Airport around 8 a.m. local time on Saturday, March 1, after striking a bird while departing," the government agency said. "The strike damaged one of the Boeing 767's engines. The flight was headed to Indianapolis. The FAA will investigate."
FedEx also shared its own statement. "FedEx Flight 3609 from Newark to Indianapolis experienced a bird strike during takeoff," the company said, per NBC News. "Our B767 crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark atter dealing with the resulting engine damage, including an engine fire."
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The statement continued, "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."
The aviation incident is one of several reported this week. On Feb. 25, an American Airlines commercial flight from Boston to Virginia delayed its landing at Virginia's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to avoid hitting another plane departing from the same runway.
'American Airlines flight 2246 landed safely and normally at DCA after it was instructed by Air Traffic Control to complete a standard go-around to allow another aircraft more time for takeoff,' the airline said in a statement to E! News. "American has a no-fault go-around policy as a go-around is not an abnormal flight maneuver and can occur nearly every day in the National Airspace System."
One day prior, a Delta Air Lines plane en route to South Carolina returned to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after the crew reported possible smoke in the flightdeck, the FAA said.
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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