Smoke and screams fill cabin as bird strike forces Southwest Airlines plane to land (VIDEO)
A bird strike forced a Southwest Airlines plane to land in Cuba and the terrifying moment was caught on video.
On Sunday, March 5, Southwest Airlines flight 3923 took off from Havana and was on its way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with 147 passengers and six staff members onboard, reports the BBC. However, shortly after take-off, birds struck the plane’s engine and nose, filling the Boeing 737’s cabin with smoke.
In a video posted on Twitter, children can be heard crying and passengers can be seen securing their oxygen masks.
A passenger told NBC’s Early Today show recalled what happened.
“Nobody could breathe,” said Marc Antonio. “It was burning so much in the lungs. People were just screaming. Kids were screaming.”
Corporación de la Aviación Cubana SA (CACSA), the Cuban civil aviation authority, stated in a Facebook post that the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at José Martí International Airport.
The airline stated, “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and have reached out to address their needs and offer support.”
Watch the video below:
Este es un video desde dentro del avión, en el que al parecer ha entrado humo a la cabina. Un pasajero ha declarado que se ha escuchado una explosión en uno de los motores, lo que ha ocasionado el aterrizaje de emergencia.
📸 Unknown pic.twitter.com/Z4LgPKKca5
— On The Wings of Aviation (@OnAviation) March 5, 2023
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