Bird strike leaves HUGE hole in plane upon landing
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A United Airlines aircraft was left with a huge hole in the nose of the plane after it struck a bird on its descent into Denver International Airport on Tuesday morning.
The Boeing 737 was flying from Dallas to Denver, and was coming into land when it struck the animal. The pilot declared an emergency as soon as he was aware of the hit.
Christen David, a spokesman for United Airlines, told ABC News that there were no injuries to the 151 passengers on board.
Experts from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington will analyse the bird's remains to determine its species.
Airliner engines have to be designed to be able to ingest a four-pound bird without endangering people on the plane, according to Paul Eschenfelder, a professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
He added that none of the engines currently flying are built to ingest an eight to 15-pound bird.
ABC reports that birdstrike.org estimates wildlife strikes have been responsible for more than 219 deaths worldwide since 1998.
Just two weeks ago, a passenger plane made an emergency landing at Norwich Airport after the aircraft struck a bird shortly after take-off.
The BMI service to Aberdeen was carrying 19 passengers and three crew when a swallow flew into one of the engines.
The captain decided to turn the plane straight around, and made a safe landing at 1.11pm - but not before an emergency plan, including police, ambulance and fire crews was put into action.
And, back in April, a Delta Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after its right engine was hit by a flock of birds.
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Bird strike forces emergency landing at Norwich Airport
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