Southwest Airlines Plane Hits Birds, Makes Emergency Landing in Cuba
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A US jetliner taking off from Cuba had engine trouble after hitting birds and returned to Havana for an emergency landing on Sunday, Cuban authorities said.
Smoke entered the cabin of the plane but no one was injured in the incident involving Southwest Airlines flight 3923 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said the airline and the Cuban civil aviation authority, Cacsa, AFP reported.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 147 passengers and a crew of six, Southwest Airlines said.
Birds struck one of the plane’s engines and its nose shortly after takeoff.
“The pilots safely returned to Havana where customers evacuated the aircraft via slides due to smoke in the cabin,” Southwest said.
The travelers would be put on another flight to Fort Lauderdale, Southwest said.
Cacsa said the incident was being investigated.