An American Airlines flight was forced to make an ergency landing after a bird struck one of its engines shortly after takeoff fromem LaGuardia Airport in New York on Thursday. Flight 1722, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, encountered the terrifying incident just minutes into its journey when the bird collided with the Airbus A321’s right engine, causing significant damage and rendering the engine inoperable.
With passengers onboard fearing for their safety, the crew acted swiftly to divert the plane to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Queens, New York, for an emergency landing. Despite the serious nature of the incident, the plane managed to safely return using only its secondary engine, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The flight, which was carrying 190 passengers and six crew members, landed without incident at JFK, and fortunately, no one was injured. In a statement, American Airlines expressed gratitude to the crew for their professionalism and apologized to the passengers for the inconvenience. The airline also confirmed that the passengers were provided hotel accommodations overnight, as the flight was rescheduled to depart on Friday morning.
The terrifying ordeal was captured in viral footage shared on social media, which shows flames erupting from the engine after the bird strike. Several passengers recounted the traumatic experience, with some admitting they feared for their lives. One passenger, Amy Stamper, described the moment as a near-death experience, saying, “I thought I was gonna die. There were a couple of small explosions. And there was a fire.”
Another passenger, seated near the wing, recalled seeing flames in the sky and prayed for their safety, saying, “I thought I was gonna die for about 30 seconds.”
While the incident was unsettling, all passengers and crew members onboard are safe, and the quick response from the flight crew prevented further tragedy.
