A FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday morning after a bird strike caused an engine fire, forcing the aircraft to return to the airport shortly after takeoff.
Video footage captured flames and thick smoke pouring from the aircraft's right engine, as the plane banked sharply before making its return. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion, while one individual could be heard in a video exclaiming, "Oh my God, oh my God." The plane successfully touched down at 8:07 a.m., according to airport officials.
The Boeing 767-300 twin-jet aircraft was en route to Indianapolis when the bird strike occurred. "FedEx Flight 3609 from Newark to Indianapolis experienced a bird strike during takeoff," the company said in a statement. "Our crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders."
A FedEx cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey following a bird strike.
Officials said the incident happened around 8:07 a.m., Saturday, March 1 2025.
FedEx Flight 3609 from Newark to Indianapolis experienced a… pic.twitter.com/omghOKVpx8 — Kagan.Dunlap (@Kagan_M_Dunlap) March 1, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the aircraft landed safely after striking a bird upon departure. The agency said it will conduct an investigation into the incident.
The emergency briefly halted air traffic at Newark as a precaution, though normal operations resumed shortly after, according to officials. It remains unclear how many people were aboard the aircraft at the time of the incident.
Bird strikes are a well-documented hazard in aviation. In 2023, there were 19,603 reported bird strikes in the U.S., reflecting a 14% increase from 2022, according to an FAA report. Since 1988, bird strikes have resulted in 76 fatalities and the destruction of 126 aircraft.
The emergency landing comes amid a string of aviation incidents in North America, raising renewed concerns over flight safety. In the past month alone, a Feb. 6 crash in Alaska killed 10 people, while a Jan. 26 midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight claimed the lives of 67 individuals.
