All 176 Passengers Safe
Landed After 50 Minutes of Fuel Burn Following Collision
An Air Busan flight bound for Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, was forced to return to Gimhae Airport in Busan due to a bird strike. There were no injuries, and it is reported that the passengers departed again on an alternative flight about two hours after the return.
According to Air Busan and Korea Airports Corporation on May 2, flight BX761 (Airbus A320), which departed from Busan Gimhae International Airport for Kota Kinabalu at approximately 7:19 p.m. on May 1, collided with birds during takeoff.
Immediately after the incident, the aircraft circled over Geoje Island for about 50 minutes to burn off fuel and then landed at Gimhae Airport around 8:00 p.m. There were 176 passengers on board at the time. After returning safely without any injuries, an alternative flight was arranged, and the passengers departed again at around 10:00 p.m. the same day.
An Air Busan representative stated, "The aircraft collided with birds immediately after takeoff and returned for safety reasons," adding, "We landed safely without any injuries and promptly prepared an alternative aircraft for departure."
A bird strike refers to the phenomenon where birds collide with an aircraft's engine or fuselage during takeoff, landing, or cruising. Bird strikes pose a serious threat to flight safety, with more than 10,000 cases reported annually in the United States alone. However, the number of accidents involving commercial aircraft is low, and the rate of fatal accidents is known to be about one per one billion flight hours.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
