Emergency landing at airport after bird strike
According to an eyewitness, runways were closed until the plane had landed safely. No injuries were reported
A Cathay Pacific Airline destined for Hong Kong was forced to make an emergency landing at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday just after take off due to a bird strike.
The emergency landing took place in the afternoon after the aircraft had to circle for two hours to burn excess fuel on board.
Police closed the N12 highway to negate the possibility of falling debris striking vehicles in the area as the plane came in for landing.
According to a Johannesburg plane spotter, the flight, destined for Hong Kong, circled the city after takeoff for almost two hours. “It is very rare and I was quite surprised. I rushed to the airport and saw one of the Boeing 747′s engines were not working,” he said on condition of anonymity.
He explained the plane had to dump fuel because it was over its maximum landing weight.
According to an eyewitness, runways were closed until the plane had landed safely. No injuries were reported.
Passenger Amanda de Klerk, destined for Singapore, said she heard a noise in the plane a few minutes after its 12:30pm takeoff.
“We were told that it was a bird strike, when birds fly into the engine, and that we would have to return to OR Tambo,” she said.
While a potentially terrifying situation, she said she never felt like her life was in danger as the crew were calm, as was the captain who provided regular updates as the plane circled over Johannesburg.
“It was an emergency landing but it was a safe, controlled one. There was never any panic,” De Klerk said.
Information: The Citizen
