The plane, FedEx Flight 3609, was on its way to Indianapolis when the incident happened, NBC News reported.
Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft smacked into the bird during departure, which damaged one of the Boeing 767’s engines.
Video footage shows flames burst out of the plane’s underside as it glides through the air:
Pilots were forced to turn the plane around and make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport just after 8:00 a.m. The incident did not result in anyone being hurt and the fire was contained to the engine, per the Associated Press (AP).
The article continued:
Audio recorded by LiveATC captured a person calmly saying the aircraft needed to “shut down for a possible bird strike” immediately. “We need to return to the airport.”
Moments later, another person is heard saying: “We believe we saw their engine fall off the right wing.” The audio indicates the strike happened when the plane was several hundred feet off the ground.
Additional footage shows the plane flying through the air at a distance:
In a statement, FedEx told NBC the crew declared an emergency and safely returned to the airport, noting the company was thankful for the “quick actions” of the crew and first responders at the scene.
A pilot on another flight who was identified as Kenneth Hoffman said his own plane was preparing to leave when they heard about the emergency via air traffic control.
He praised the pilots’ response to the emergency, stating, “They handled it like champs. At the end of the day, that’s what our training is all about.”
More video footage shows a view of the plane from the ground as it caught on fire and then landed:
The FAA has since said it will open an investigation into the matter.
