American Airlines flight forced to return to Ohio airport after bird strike

The engine of an American Airlines Boeing 737 caught fire after hitting a flock of geese about 25 minutes after it took off in Ohio on Sunday.

Dramatic video from the ground shows Flight 1958 to Phoenix returning to John Glenn International Airport in Columbus as flames and smoke could be seen coming from the right engine.

Fortunately, the plane made it to the ground safely, and no injuries were reported.

The plane departed the airport at around 7:43 a.m., with the engine catching fire less than 30 minutes later before the plane was forced to return and land at around 8:22 a.m.

A passenger aboard the plane told NBC 4 that he and others aboard the flight heard a loud clanking noise in the plane, with a pilot allegedly telling them that they had hit a flock of geese shortly after take off.

After the plane landed safely, the passengers were removed and taken to another flight that departed later in the morning.

Pictures of the aftermath show firefighters and airport security putting out the engine fire and inspecting the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident.

Despite the harrowing event, the John Glenn International Airport said it remains “open and operational.”

The airport and American Airlines did not immediately respond to the Post’s request for comment.

The incident comes just three days after another engine caught fire during take off from the Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina.

The wing of the Airbus A321 flight to Dallas could be seen engulfed in flames as the plane was speeding down the runway to take off. The flight did not take off and the fire was quickly extinguished.

No one was reported injured in the Dallas incident, which was reported as a mechanical failure in the engine.