Jet2 plane rams bird in flight

A Jet2 aircraft collided with a bird shortly after takeoff yesterday evening and had to land back at Leeds Bradford Airport.

The plane, carrying 135 passengers and a crew of five, was supposed to fly to Palma de Mallorca, but never left England.

Flightradar24 shows the aircraft taking off at 16:29 (BST), flying over Manchester before turning around and landing back at LBA at 17:48 (BST).

A Jet2 spokesman apologised but said customers had been rebooked on another aircraft.

“We can confirm that flight LS227 returned to Leeds Bradford Airport on Saturday 10 August as a precautionary measure,” the spokesman said.

“The aircraft landed safely and the customers were transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue their journey.

“We naturally apologize for the delay in the start of your vacation.”

The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services declared the flight a “major emergency”.

However, Jet2 denied that a state of emergency had been declared.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services reported: “The No. 2 engine of this aircraft has been affected by a bird strike and is experiencing severe vibration – there are no known hazards on board.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service and West Yorkshire Police attended the scene and have been contacted by the BBC for further comment.

Leeds Bradford Airport was also asked for a comment.

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