Bird strike causes engine fire on American Airlines plane

AMERICAM AIRLINES BOEING 737-823 N965AN (MSN 29544)

An American Airlines plane travelling from Columbus (CMH/KCMH) to Phoenix (PHX/ KPHX) was forced to return to the airport Sunday morning after a possible bird strike that may have sparked an engine fire. The Boeing 737 designated Flight 1958 had departed Columbus for Phoenix before the crew reported a possible bird strike at around 8 a.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said. 

AA1958 departed from runway 28L at 7.55 a.m. (local) climbed to 3,000 feet, and landed back on runway 28L 27 minutes later at 8.22 a.m.

“Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire. The aircraft landed safely, and the airport is open and operational,” John Glenn Columbus International Airport said in a statement posted on Twitter.

The flight made a safe return to Columbus “due to a mechanical issue.” American Airlines said in a statement.

“The flight landed normally and taxied safely to the gate under its own power. The aircraft was taken out of service for maintenance and our team is working to get customers back on their way to Phoenix,” the American Airlines statement said.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: American Airlines

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: Boeing 737-823

Registration: N972NN

Serial Number: 33334

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B24

First Flew: 03/06/2015

Age: 7 Yrs 9 Mts