A United Airlines passenger jet bound for Miami had to return to Chicago on Friday after hitting a bird, the airline said.
The bird strike happened just after it took off from O’Hare International Airport, according to United. Flight 1930, a Boeing 737-900, returned to the airport.
“The aircraft landed safely and passengers deplaned at the gate,” United said in a statement. Passengers were put on a different plane, it said.
The Chicago Department of Aviation said that it got a call for “standby alert” at 11:14 a.m.
Reported bird strikes on civil aircraft have generally been increasing over the years, although the number varies per year.
In 2021, there were 14,564 reported bird strikes, according to a Federal Aviation Administration report, and aircraft also struck bats, “terrestrial mammals” and reptiles.
Of all the wildlife strikes last year, 648 caused damage to the aircraft.
