A FedEx cargo airplane caught fire after hitting a bird shortly after departure from Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday morning, reports say. There were no reported injuries, and the plane had to make an emergency return to Newark Liberty international airport. The Boeing 767 was on its way to Indianapolis when it hit the bird, which damaged an engine. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane returned to the airport at around 8am eastern time. Air traffic was briefly halted as a precaution but resumed shortly afterward. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the plane’s right engine burst into flames, according to FlightAware data. Bystanders captured the incident on video from multiple angles, capturing the dramatic moment as the plane returned to the runway. Saturday’s emergency return adds to a series of recent aviation incidents that have raised public concern. On January 30, an American Airlines plane collided with a US Army helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington DC, killing all 67 people on board. The Washington collision was the deadliest US aviation disaster since 2009. The incident was followed by a medical transport plane crash in Philadelphia, killing seven

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/01/bird-strike-aircraft-new-jersey