FedEx plane catches fire before emergency landing at Newark airport
A FedEx plane returned to Newark Liberty International Airport after it struck a bird and one of its engines caught on fire, officials said.
A FedEx plane was forced to return to Newark Liberty International Airport Saturday morning after it struck a bird while taking off and one of its engines caught on fire, officials said.
FedEx Flight 3609, a Boeing 767 jet, safely returned to Newark at about 8 a.m. Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. It was on its way to Indianapolis when it struck the bird.
“Our B767 crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark (after) dealing with the resulting engine damage, including an engine fire,” FedEx said in a statement. “The training, expertise, and professionalism demonstrated by our FedEx pilots was exemplary.”
Video posted to social media Saturday morning showed a FedEx plane in the air, with one of its engines in flames. Another video showed it after touching down at Newark, engine still in a fireball.
While minor aviation incidents aren’t uncommon in the U.S. – there were over 1,400 crashes last year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board – all eyes have turned to the skies after a series of deadly airplane disasters this year.
On Jan. 29, an American Airlines regional jet and military Blackhawk helicopter collided, killing all 67 people on board both aircraft. Days later, a Medevac jet crash in Philadelphia killed seven people and injured more than 20 others. In early February, a small commuter plane carrying 10 went missing in Alaska and was found crashed over sea ice, with all on board dead. Also in February, a Delta plane overturned and caught fire while landing in Canada; nobody died but several were injured.
(This story has been updated to add new information and video.)
