FlySafair spokesperson, Maryke Pienaar confirmed that FA424 had been diverted to OR Tambo International Airport after a bird strike on departure at Lanseria. Picture: FlySAFair
FlySafair’s flight FA678, which departed from the Lanseria International Airport headed for Durban, had to be diverted to the OR Tambo International Airport and was grounded safely on Thursday morning after it struck a bird upon take off.
The 9.40am scheduled flight had been scheduled to land at King Shaka International Airport in Durban at 10.55am was rerouted and forced to land at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Passengers onboard are now expected to reach Durban at 12.45pm on Thursday afternoon.
According to passengers, after about 30 minutes after departure the captain announced that they would re-route to land at OR Tambo International Airport due to technical difficulties with their second engine.
However, FlySafair spokesperson Maryke Pienaar told IOL that FA424 had been diverted to OR Tambo International Airport after a bird strike on departure at Lanseria.
“The aircraft landed safely and we've moved the passengers onto a new aircraft to resume their journey to Durban. ETA in Durban is 12:45pm.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused as the team prioritise safety.” Pienaar told IOL Travel.
“Bird strikes are not that unusual, unfortunately this can happen and our pilots are well trained to manage it safely,” she said.
Passengers waited at OR Tambo International Airport for an hour before boarding another plane to King Shaka International.
While most bird strikes cause minor damage, larger birds or flocks colliding with an aircraft can lead to severe outcomes, such as engine failure or damage to critical components like the windshield or wings.
In rare but catastrophic cases, a bird strike can result in the loss of control, as seen in the infamous "Miracle on the Hudson" incident in New York City in 2009, where a plane had to make an emergency water landing in the Hudson River after bird strikes disabled both engines.
Fortunately there were no fatalities, and five passengers were treated for minor injuries.
The passengers and crew then exited the plane via the forward slide/rafts and walked onto the wings or entered inflatable rafts.
IOL Travel