A British Airways flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Boston due to a ‘possible bird strike’ and cabin smoke during a trip from Washington DC to London.
The flight took off at 5:36 pm from Dulles International Airport, but was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport at 7:30 pm on Saturday, according to flight logs tracked on Flight Aware.
Crew on board the Boeing 777 plane reported a bird strike and fumes in the cabin, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA announced an investigation into the incident but clarified that all passengers on board British Airways Flight 216 landed safely in Boston.
The flight departed from Boston at 8:45 pm and is scheduled to land in London at 6:15 am GMT.
British Airways said in a statement that engineers conducted a ‘thorough inspection of the aircraft.’
‘We are sorry for the delay to our customers’ travel plans, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority,’ the statement continued.
It was not immediately known how many passengers and crew members were on board or if there was any damage to the aircraft.
British Airways Flight 216 landed safely in Boston after it was diverted en route to London due to a ‘possible bird strike’ (file photo)
The FAA said crew members reported ‘fumes in the cabin’ and the flight emergency landed at Boston Logan International Airport (pictured) (file photo)
The Boeing 777 plane departed from Dulles International Airport in Washington DC (pictured) at 5:36 pm but wasn’t even in the air for two hours before the flight was diverted (file photo)
DailyMail.com reached out to the FAA and British Airways for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
Bird strikes are a common occurrence in the air, but can be hazardous if the bird flies into the engine.
According to the FAA, there have been around 292,000 reported wildlife strikes in the US between 1990 and 2023.
About 61 percent of bird strikes occur when a flight is descending or ascending. Only 3 percent of strikes occur when the plane is en route.
Even though it may seem like a minor problem, 499 human fatalities and 361 aircrafts were destroyed from 1988 to 2024 due to wildlife collisions.
On December 29, 2024, a passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in South Korea, killing 179 people.
The plane landed on its belly and burst into flames after striking a concrete structure on the runway.
The cause has yet to be determined, but a preliminary investigation revealed that feathers and bird blood stains were found on both engines of the plane.
Investigators found that air traffic controllers warned the pilots about a possible bird strike just minutes before they issued a distress signal.
The flight departed from Boston at 8:45 pm and is scheduled to land in London’s Heathrow Airport (pictured) at 6:15 am GMT (file photo)
The incident is the latest in a string of aviation accidents that have generated increased attention from the public since the deadly crash in Washington DC in January (file photo)
The devastating crash prompted South Korean officials to require bird detection cameras in all airports.
There’s been an increased attention on the aviation industry since an American Airlines flight collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington DC, killing all 67 passengers on board both aircraft.
The deadly collision shocked the public and became the deadliest plane crash in the US since 2001.
The National Transportation Safety Board has logged 250 aviation accidents across the US so far this year.
