A Hainan Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome after a bird strike caused an engine fire shortly after takeoff.
The China-bound flight returned to the Italian capital’s Fiumicino Airport on Sunday morning (10 November) after one engine burst into flames.
According to the airline and the Italian Coast Guard, flight HU438 “encountered” the bird at the start of its journey to Shenzhen, China.
Video footage shared on X/Twitter showed the Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner flying overhead with smoke and flames trailing from its right engine.
The flight landed safely in Rome after making a U-turn and ‘fuel dumping over’ the sea for 54 minutes in order to reduce the aircraft’s weight.
FlightAware tracking shows the Boeing Dreamliner circling over the Tyrrhenian Sea before making the emergency landing.
No injuries were reported from any of the 249 passengers and 16 crew members onboard.
The Boeing aircraft involved in the incident will remain grounded until an investigation has been conducted.
“On November 10th, 2024, Hainan Airlines flight HU438 (Rome-Shenzhen) encountered a bird strike on the right engine during takeoff. In order to ensure safety, the crew promptly returned to the airport according to procedures,” Hainan Airlines said in a statement:
“The flight landed safely at Fiumicino Airport in Rome at 11:06 am local time (18:06 Beijing time), and all passengers have disembarked in an orderly manner. Hainan Airlines will ensure proper follow-up assistance for passengers.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences caused by this, and we really appreciate all passengers for their understanding and support.”
It’s not the first time a bird strike has caused an aircraft to make an emergency landing.
In May, at least 36 protected flamingos were killed in a single bird strike incident in western India involving an Emirates Boeing 777.
The Dubai-Mumbai flight EK-508 was flying over the outskirts of India’s financial capital with over 300 passengers on board when it collided with the flock shortly before landing.
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