An Air Arabia flight that was scheduled to depart for Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on Monday had to abort takeoff after being hit by two eagles, news agency PTI reported citing airport sources.
The eagles struck the left side of the engine as the 164-passenger flight was about to take off from the runway around 7 am, according to the report.
Technicians examined the damage caused by the birds, one of which had perished after striking the blade after all the passengers had disembarked, the report said.
As soon as the technicians resolve the issue, the aircraft would take off, as stated in the report.
As per the report, some of the passengers were accommodated in motels, while those who remained in the city returned to their homes.
There have been three bird strikes on planes taking off from Coimbatore on average in the last seven years, but this was the first time all passengers had evacuated the plane to inspect the damage, as reported by news agency IANS.
S Senthil Valavan, director of Coimbatore Airport, told IANS that control measures were being implemented to reduce bird strikes, such as utilising bird care guns, hiring bird chasers, and using herbicides to prevent plant development.
Because birds use the grass as a breeding place, the grass height is kept to a minimum. According to the IANS report, dumping waste near the airport is absolutely prohibited because birds frequently visit dumping sites.
The airport officials in Coimbatore intend to implement further bird control measures, and research organisations have been assigned to analyse the problem, the report said.
Similar Incidents Of Bird Strike In The Recent Past:
According to an official statement from India's Directorate of General of Aviation, an Akasa Air Boeing 737 Max collided with a bird shortly after takeoff in October last year. Ahmedabad Airport shared a photo of a big, bleeding dent on the plane's nose.
Collisions between planes and birds can be exceedingly dangerous, especially if the birds enter the jet turbines and inflict major damage to the engines.
In the month of June, at least two bird strike incidents occur in India, one involving a SpiceJet plane flying from Patna to Delhi and the other involving an IndiGo plane flying from Guwahati to Delhi. Both of these accidents required the aircraft to return to their original airports and be grounded for maintenance.
A bird strike is described as a collision between a bird and an aircraft in flight, or on a takeoff or landing roll. Other wildlife strikes, such as those involving bats or ground animals, are frequently included in the definition. Bird strikes are prevalent and can pose a serious hazard to aviation safety.
(With Inputs From Agencies)