Chicago

United Flight Returns to Chicago After Report of Bird Strike

The Chicago Department of Aviation said the pilot reported an issue with the engine shortly after takeoff

A United Airlines flight to Miami was forced to return to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport Thursday morning after a reported bird strike, the airline said. 

United flight 1738 from Chicago to Miami landed at O'Hare Airport after the crew shut down one of the plane's engines, according to United spokesperson Maddie King. 

The Chicago Department of Aviation said the pilot reported an issue with the engine shortly after takeoff around 8:24 a.m. 

Video posted to social media by someone claiming to be a passenger on a United flight appears to show flames shooting out of an engine. 

"What to do when your plane engine blows and bursts fire?" the tweet read, using the hashtag #birdattack. 

[[425726473, C]]

King said the airline has not yet confirmed if any sparks or flames occurred in the reported bird strike. The Chicago Fire Department was called to the scene. 

The engine was "swapped" and the flight left the airport just after 10:30 a.m., King said. 

"We are reaching out to customers to compensate them for the inconvenience," King said. 

Contact Us