Airplane engine catches fire mid-flight after hitting flock of geese, officials say

An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing after an engine burst into flames in mid-air, Ohio officials said.

The flight from John Glenn International Airport in Columbus was bound for Phoenix, Arizona, according to FlightAware. It took off around 7:40 a.m. EDT but landed back at John Glenn about 40 minutes later.

“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,” the airport said in a tweet.

The Boeing 737’s crew reported a “possible bird strike,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a news release.

Passengers said they heard loud noises outside the cabin, a witness told WCMH.

The pilot said they had flown through a flock of geese, which likely damaged the engine and caused it to catch fire, a passenger told WBNS.

No injuries were reported.

The FAA is investigating.

This story was originally published April 23, 2023 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Airplane engine catches fire mid-flight after hitting flock of geese, officials say."