US jetliner makes emergency landing in Havana after hitting birds
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US-based Southwest Airlines say birds struck one of its plane's engines and its nose shortly after takeoff from Cuba.
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A Southwest Airlines commercial aircraft approaches to land at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, Jan. 18, 2022 (Reuters)
A US jetliner taking off from Cuba experienced engine trouble after hitting birds and returned to Havana for an emergency landing on Sunday, Cuban authorities said.
Smoke seeped into the cabin of the plane but no one was injured in the incident involving Southwest Airlines flight 3923 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the airline and the Cuban civil aviation authority Cacsa confirmed on its Facebook page.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 147 passengers and a crew of six, Southwest Airlines indicated in a statement to AFP.
It said birds struck one of the plane's engines and its nose shortly after takeoff.
A new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft operated by Southwest Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing after the cabin filled with thick smoke shortly after takeoff from Havana, Cuba. pic.twitter.com/h9BVdrZYQg
— Avia.Pro - 🛡️Foreign Affairs - 📡Geopolitics (@avia_pro) March 6, 2023
"The pilots safely returned to Havana where customers evacuated the aircraft via slides due to smoke in the cabin," the statement mentioned.
The travelers will be put on another flight to Fort Lauderdale, it added.
On its part, Cacsa pointed out that a probe into the incident had been launched.
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