Bird knocks plane engine out
2008-01-30 14:16
Durban - A kulula.com passenger aircraft was forced to turn back after a bird flew into an engine during a Durban to Cape Town flight on Wednesday.
Airline spokesperson Glenda Zvenyika confirmed that a 'bird strike' occurred on flight MN702, 15 minutes after taking off from Durban.
The captain had to shut down the engine.
The Boeing 737 plane turned back and emergency services were put on standby on the ground.
The plane, carrying a crew of six and 130 passengers, landed safely after circling Durban airport to burn off excess fuel.
Zvenyika said a standby plane was being sent from Johannesburg to pick up passengers.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial Emergency Medical Rescue Services reported that none of the crew or passengers were injured during the incident.
Zvenyika said she was still awaiting further information.
It was not immediately clear at what height the plane was flying when it struck the bird.
Durban International Airport spokesperson Colin Naidoo said the plane landed at about 12:15 and passengers were being "re-routed" to reach their final destination.
- SAPA