Birds were sucked into both engines of FedEx cargo plane that made a fiery landing, NTSB preliminary report finds

By Alexandra Skores, CNN

Washington (CNN) — Birds were sucked into both engines of a FedEx cargo plane that made a fiery landing in March at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report released Wednesday.

On March 1, FedEx flight 3609, a Boeing 767-300F, took off from Newark, heading to Indianapolis International Airport.

While the first officer was flying, he saw three white birds at about 500 feet and called out “birds,” the report said. The pilots immediately heard an “abrupt bang,” and the plane experienced moderate to severe vibrations.

Fire indications were displayed in the cockpit and air traffic control could see flames coming from the right engine. The pilots declared an emergency, shut off one engine, and turned to fly back to the airport, the NTSB said. The plane landed safely and the two pilots and one passenger, who was also a pilot, had no injuries.

Bird remains were found in both jet engines, the preliminary report noted. The right engine, which had been on fire, had a broken fan blade and part of the exhaust system broke off and was found in a grassy field alongside I-95, near the flight path.

The investigation is still underway and will be complete when a final report is issued in about a year.

Bird strikes are fairly common, though the amount of damage varies widely. In 2024, there were 137 reports of wildlife being hit by aircraft at Newark airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s wildlife strike database.

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