Airplane Forced to Make Emergency Landing After Bird Strike Causes Aircraft to Burst into Flames During Takeoff

A FedEx cargo plane had to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey shortly after take-off, as part of the aircraft was set ablaze when it hit a bird. FedEx Flight 3609 was headed for Indianapolis on the morning of Saturday, March 1, when it had to make a sudden return to the airport at around 8:07 a.m. local time due to the “bird strike,” the airport told PEOPLE in a statement. The aircraft struck the animal during takeoff, FedEx confirmed.