Damaged JetBlue airliner after two geese struck its windshield, forcing it to declare an emergency and return to Westchester County Airport.
Matthew Brown/The Journal News
Emergency responders and aircraft mechanics survey the damage to a Jet Blue plane that made a safe emergency landing at the Westchester County Airport in Purchase April 24, 2012. The pilot declared an emergency just after takeoff, after a pair of Canada geese struck the plane's windshield.
Matthew Brown/The Journal News
8:12 PM, Apr. 24, 2012
Written by Yaron Steinbuch
HARRISON — A JetBlue airliner bound for Florida declared an emergency seconds after taking off at Westchester County Airport and landed after two geese struck its windshield about 6:30 p.m. tonight.
No injuries were reported after Flight 571, a two-engine Embraer 190 regional jet with 58 people aboard, made an emergency landing, said Jeremy Nielson, an operations manager at the airport.
"There was damage to the plane and the pilots decided to return to the airport," Nielson said. "I'm sure the passengers are happy to be on the ground."
The aircraft's windshield and wipers were damaged. Debris could be seen on the windshield as the jet sat on the tarmac with airport personnel assessing the damage.
"If the birds had ben ingested in the ingested in the engines I'd have been more concerned," Nielson said.
Nielson said the aircraft landed safely about five to seven minutes after it had taken off for Palm Beach.
The passengers were scheduled to board another aircraft by about 8 p.m. and depart for Palm Beach.
By BILL SANDERSON
Last Updated: 7:35 PM, April 24, 2012
Posted: 7:35 PM, April 24, 2012
Geese smacked into a JetBlue plane taking off from Westchester County Airport tonight, sparking a frightening emergency that sent the crippled jet back to the airport.
“We got to come back. We hit two big geese,” a pilot aboard Flight 571 to West Palm Beach radioed to air controllers just after the plane lifted off at about 6:45 p.m.
“We are declaring an emergency,” the pilot said.
As controllers rerouted planes and helicopters taking off and landing at the airport in Harrison, the pilots of the Embraer jet made it roughly six miles northwest of the airport before they turned back.
They were on the ground about seven minutes after the crisis began.
“JetBlue 571, nice to have you back,” a relieved controller radioed as the Embraer jet landed at 6:52 p.m.
The jet was an Embraer 190, which can carry 114 passengers. It was unclear how many people were board the goose-crippled flight. Authorities and the airline did not return phone calls.
Source: http://www.nypost.com
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