Bird Strike Causes American Flight to Return to Columbus

The Columbus Dispatch reports American Airlines Flight 1958 was able to successfully return to the airport shortly after takeoff on the morning of Sunday, Aprile 23, 2023.

Video Shows Engine Flaming Out After Strike

According to the Dispatch, American Flight 1958 was a regularly scheduled flight from Columbus to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Shortly after the 7:45 a.m. departure, the pilots experienced the bird strike, resulting in a flame-out of one of the engines. Video shared on social media show the engine on fire as the aircraft lands.

@cuhhlayre Live laugh love American Airlines #americanairlines #flying ♬ original sound – Claire

The aircraft was able to successfully navigate back to the airport, causing a temporary shutdown. Officials for the airport say there were no injuries aboard the flight, and the shutdown did not force any flights to cancel. Several flights were delayed due to the temporary ground stop.

As with all incidents involving commercial flights, federal agencies will be investigating what happened. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have not publicly commented on if or when the investigation began.

Bird Strike Incident Comes After Airlines and Airports Face Scrutiny

The Columbus aircraft incident comes after airports and airlines were reprimanded for a lack of safety regulations earlier this year. Officials from the FAA expressed alarm over a number of near-miss incidents among commercial aircraft, and have sought ways to prevent them ahead of the busy summer season.