Bird strikes force 2 United Airlines flights to make emergency landings at IAH, airport says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Two planes had to turn around and land at Bush Intercontinental Airport shortly after taking off on Tuesday due to bird strikes, according to Houston Airport System officials.
Fortunately, everyone is safe and no one was injured.
Video shows firefighters responding to one of the flights at IAH around 10 p.m.
A United Airlines flight was headed to Las Vegas when it encountered a bird strike, officials said.
Then, the same thing happened to another United Airlines plane headed to Santiago, Chile.
Radio traffic captured the crew reporting the incident to air traffic controllers.
"When we leveled off at 4,000, we heard a loud pop and you could feel something, so we're going to contact maintenance and company. We'll go ahead and continue our climb for now, but we might be getting back with you," the pilot said.
"Yeah, just maintain 4,000. Let me know what you need and keep me updated," the tower replied.
As for the flight to Vegas, a map from Flight Aware shows the plane's short path from IAH and right back. It was in the air for about 30 minutes before it had to land.
Bird strikes happen when birds get stuck in a plane's engine.
RELATED: American Airlines plane catches fire following possible bird strike days after runway blaze: VIDEO
On Sunday, an engine of an American Airlines flight from Columbus, Ohio to Phoenix, Arizona caught on fire after a suspected bird strike.
The FAA said bird strikes are a growing concern, due in part to increasing populations of large birds and their inability to hear quieter engines.
SEE ALSO: How common are airplane bird strikes?
