Heart-stopping moment plane bursts into flames after it hits flock of geese
A heart-stopping video shows the moment a plane burst into flames after it struck a flock of geese following takeoff.
The American Airlines Boeing 737 flight was forced to make an emergency landing after being hit the birds.
Horrified passengers looked out the window to discover flames shooting from the engine just 40 minutes into the flight to Phoenix, Arizona, US.
Some said it sounded as though "the engines were about to give up" with "wonky pulsing noises" heard onboard.
The flight left John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio at around 7.43am on Sunday, according to flight trackers.
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Faced with a possible mid-air catastrophe, the pilot then informed passengers they would be returning to the airport in an emergency landing.
Frightening video shows scenes from inside the plane, filmed by passengers Marni Kallestad and Ryan Brink.
Terrifying scenes show the engine on fire mid-air (Marni Kallestad /TMX / SWNS)
The engine caught fire minutes after takeoff (Marni Kallestad /TMX / SWNS)Further footage shows the moment the plane tries to land as chilling noises could be heard from the engine during its descent.
John Glenn International Airport posted on Twitter: "Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire.
"The aircraft landed safely and the airport is open and operational. The aircraft experienced mechanical issues, not an engine fire."
Passengers were back on the ground at 8.22am after pilots safely navigated the plane back to where they started.
The airport was shut for a couple of minutes as the fire was extinguished.
The flight was forced to make an emergency landing after the engine caught fire due to a bird strike (Marni Kallestad /TMX / SWNS)An investigation into the incident has been launched by the Federal Aviation Administration.
American Airlines said in a statement: "The flight landed normally and taxied safely to the gate under its own power.
"The aircraft was taken out of service for maintenance and our team is working to get customers back on their way to Phoenix."
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No injuries were reported, according to authorities.
The passengers were put back on another flight, which was due to leave Phoenix at around 10am.
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