Storyful
An American Airlines flight departing from New York City on Thursday, December 12, was forced to make an emergency landing after a bird was caught in the engine.Crystal Thomas, a passenger on the flight from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, recorded the incident during takeoff. Her video captured the moment the bird struck the engine, causing it to spark.Thomas told Storyful that the bird strike occurred approximately 45 seconds after takeoff. She described hearing a loud pop followed by a grinding sound and briefly noticing a burning smell.The flight was diverted to John F Kennedy International Airport, where it landed safely.American Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to Storyful:“American Airlines flight 1722 with service from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Charlotte (CLT) diverted to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Dec 12 due to a reported bird strike. The aircraft landed safely at JFK where it will be inspected by our maintenance team. We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused.”No injuries were reported, and the flight re-departed for Charlotte on Friday morning, according to the airline. Credit: Crystal Thomas via Storyful