FLINT, Mich. (WNEM/Gray News) – There was a moment of anxiety for passengers on a March 11 flight to Flint, Michigan, when a bird wound up in the path of the Allegiant Airlines plane.
As a result of impact, the plane had to head back to Clearwater, Florida, just to be safe.
Usually, when a plane lands at baggage claim, the biggest worry is whether the passengers get their suitcase or not.
But for some flyers, their flight came with a little extra panic when the Allegiant flight to Flint had to make an unexpected landing due to a surprise run-in with a bird.
Earlier on Tuesday, as the Allegiant plane made its way toward the clouds, a bird collided with an engine.
“We weren’t even in the air six minutes and the pilot came over the air and said, ‘We have to turn around,’” said Burton resident Mary Procunier.
Passengers got off the flight in Flint and went back to their lives with a mix of relief and a few laughs.
“I’m glad we arrived safely,” said Dan Buzza.
“I was so nervous and had anxiety real bad before I got on the plane, and then when I was on the plane, I saw these birds flying,” remembered passenger Monica Cusseaux.
The plane made an unplanned landing to ensure everyone’s safety and security.
Officials confirmed there were no injuries and the calm professionalism showcased by flight staff turned what could have been a nerve-wracking ordeal into a bizarre travel story.
“Not long after we took off, I heard the engine, the one engine I guess, apparently sound a little different and I was like, ‘That kind of sounds funny,’” said Saginaw resident Jill Sienko.
Other passengers described what they remember.
“We heard kind of a chunk noise when the bird got sucked into the right engine,” Buzza added.
“We were looking at each other and they just kind of smile and didn’t really say a lot, but then they announced that it was a bird that flew into the engine,” said Sienko.
With passengers safely back on the ground, a flight that was originally scheduled to hit the skies around noon finally ended its long day of travel Tuesday evening.
“They got us up and everybody’s clapping, and then they landed us in St. Pete and everybody’s clapping, and they landed us here and everybody’s clapping,” said Procunier.
According to the FAA, there have been about 292,000 reported wildlife strikes with civil aircraft over the last three plus decades. In 2023, there were about 19,700.
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