American Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Suspected Bird Strike

Flames were seen shooting from the aircraft’s left engine.

American 737 aircraft
An American 737-800 in Phoenix. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
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Key Takeaways:

An American Airlines aircraft made an emergency landing in South Carolina on Monday after a possible bird strike caused flames to shoot from its left engine.

The Boeing 737-800 had just departed Myrtle Beach for Charlotte, North Carolina, around 8 a.m. when passengers heard a bang, then saw flames coming from the engine, according to CBS News. The outlet spoke to multiple people who were on board the flight.

A video purportedly taken on board and shared with FOX News shows flames shooting out of the engine, but the engine itself does not appear to be on fire.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday. We’ve got an engine problem here,” one of the pilots told air traffic control.

The 737 landed safely back in Myrtle Beach, and no injuries were reported among the passengers or crew.

In a statement, the FAA said the crew reported striking a bird during takeoff. The agency is now investigating the incident.

American said it took the airplane out of service for an inspection. Another aircraft flew the passengers to Charlotte.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
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