A Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels Airport in Zaventem was forced to turn back shortly after take-off on Thursday morning after a bird became stuck in the engine.
The Milan-bound plane with 141 passengers on board took off just before 10:00 AM but the captain decided to turn back and land again just fifteen minutes later after the bird landed right in the engine.
"Such 'bird strikes' are not unusual. It happens once in a while, and our pilots are trained for it," Brussels Airlines spokesperson Maaike Andries. told Het Laatste Nieuws.
"The decision was immediately made to return to Brussels Airport for safety reasons. The plane was then able to land without any problems in Zaventem," she added.
The passengers on board were given alternative options to travel to Milan later in the afternoon, whilst the affected aircraft had to remain on the ground in Zaventem so the damage can be measured. Based on the outcome of this analysis, the engine will be fixed.
