A FedEx aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Newark Airport on Saturday morning after its engine caught fire shortly after takeoff. The Boeing 767-3S2F was seen racing back to the runway with flames erupting from its right engine around 8 a.m. Upon landing, the fire extended several feet, prompting two airport fire trucks to rush to the scene.
The fire was reportedly caused by a bird strike, as confirmed by both the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and FedEx. The FedEx Flight 3609 was en route from Newark to Indianapolis when the bird strike occurred. The crew declared an emergency and safely returned to Newark.
“We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders,” a FedEx representative stated. The aircraft was forced to land at 8:07 a.m., a mere nine minutes after takeoff, according to flight data.
The severity of the fire and the extent of the engine damage remain unclear. However, the plane was cleared to continue its journey to Indiana at 9:30 a.m., as per Flight Aware. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident. Air traffic was briefly suspended as a precautionary measure but has since resumed.
This incident adds to a series of recent passenger airplane accidents that have sparked concerns about air safety. On Tuesday, a Southwest plane narrowly avoided a catastrophic collision at Chicago Midway Airport when a private jet crossed the runway. Similarly, a Delta Air Lines flight bound for South Carolina had to return to Atlanta on Monday morning when smoke filled the cabin, marking the second such incident in two days.
These incidents have drawn increased attention to airplane safety following last month’s tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac River between a Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial plane, which resulted in the death of all 67 people on board, including young competitive figure skaters and their parents.