Ritika Janiya
In a freak incident, a Jet2 flight from Leeds to Palma De Majorca developed an unexpected problem when the aircraft hit a bird just after leaving the runway. Although the plane had to turn back, all 135 passengers and the crew were quite safe. The company efficiently provided a replacement aircraft, and travellers continued their journey with a minimum disruption.
Flying might be exciting, but occasionally, the unexpected happens. It was just the case when a Jet2 aircraft that was to depart from Leeds Bradford Airport to Palma De Majorca had a surprise challenge. Just after taking off, the plane collided with a bird. Substantial uproar was generated on account of the incident, and hence, the plane made an about-turn towards the airport. Luckily, everyone on board was fine, and the airline handled the situation in a swift and effective manner.
With 135 passengers and a five-person crew, the plane was, in a very short while, expected to carry away to sunny Spain these holidaymakers. Instead, the journey of their lives seemed to be taking a different route. Airborne at 16:29 BST, it climbed normally over Manchester. They didn’t realize there was a problem until just after that. The bird strike had the plane number two engine in considerable vibration. For safety’s sake, it was decided better to return to Leeds Bradford Airport than to carry on with the flight.
It landed again safely in Leeds at 17:48 BST. The entire drama of the whole take-off-and-coming-down-again had taken just about 1 hour and 20 minutes. From this length of time, one can be certain, maybe, that the passengers had experienced the various emotions whereby some were going to be excited at having embarked on a journey while some were going to be apprehensive. Nevertheless, airline staff were perfectly composed, keeping the passengers updated and safe.
As soon as the plane landed, Jet2 sprang into action within minutes. A spokesperson for the airline said the flight was turned back to Leeds as a purely precautionary measure. He said the aircraft landed safely and passengers were quickly transferred to a replacement plane that will take them to their final destination. They also apologised for the interruption, adding that it was not the start to the passengers’ holidays, which people would have been looking forward to. “Obviously in scenarios like this, safety is paramount, and in every case the caused-by-a-bird-strike incident, the airline, and airport teams were still up and ready to respond,” he added.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service had been alerted to the situation and declared a “full emergency” even before the plane touched down. This announcement put emergency services on high alert to be ready to attend the case at any moment. But a spokesperson from Jet2 later commented that no emergency was actually declared and the situation was controlled without having to face much of an issue.
He also reported that there had been serious vibration from the number two engine due to the bird strike. Apart from that, there were no other threats on board. According to him, the reason for turning back to the airport was only for the sake of safety to all the humans on board.
Both Yorkshire Ambulance Service and West Yorkshire Police had full contingency plans and were standing by at the airport. Luckily, they did not have to go into force as, after landing, the aircraft was able to taxi safely to the normal disembarkation area.
The passengers, afterwards, could be understood to be shaken yet somewhat relieved. Their holiday plans would be interrupted, yet they were in safe hands. The new plane was arranged post-haste and the passengers were on their way to Palma De Majorca shortly thereafter. Their holiday had begun with a bit of drama but they indeed appreciated the prompt and professional service rendered by Jet2 and the emergency services.
Yorkshire Live also reached out to Leeds Bradford Airport, but they did not have any comment to add on the matter at the time. Staff at the airport and emergency services performed their functions to protect everybody.
While a bird strike is common in this industry, it very rarely becomes a serious incident. An aircraft, on its own part, is designed to be sound against such shocks, and pilots are ever well prepared to react to them. It was the quick thinking and professionalism of the Jet2 crew that ensured the event went off smoothly with minimum upset to the passengers’ travel schedules.
In the final analysis, a circumstance that could have been much worse was really just a delay. Passengers continued on course, assuredly with a great story to tell about how their vacation was off to a rocky start. Because of the airline’s and emergency services’ work, things were handled safely and pretty swiftly, getting everybody back on course and looking forward to their time in the sun.
