An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after a bird strike caused an engine issue. The crew declared a “mayday” and reported an “engine malfunction” after the strike, which occurred shortly after takeoff.
Incident Details
Air traffic control audio captured the urgency of the moment, and passenger Patrick Gotwalt recorded a video showing flames coming from the right engine as the aircraft flew over water. The bursts of flame flickered before the crew initiated emergency procedures and turned toward the airport.
Airport rescue personnel later confirmed the bird strike, reporting “a lot of bird debris out here” on the runway. The aircraft, Flight 1760, had 172 customers onboard and was headed to Charlotte, North Carolina. No injuries were reported, and the plane landed safely.
In a statement, American Airlines said the aircraft “returned to Myrtle Beach shortly after departure due to a maintenance issue. The aircraft landed safely and has been taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team.” The airline added that there was no indication of a fire in the engine despite the flames visible in the passenger’s video.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
