An American Airlines jet had to make an emergency landing after it hit a flock of birds shortly after taking off from John F. Kennedy Airport Tuesday morning, federal officials said.
The plane, American Airlines flight 1320 bound for St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, departed the Queens airport before 9 a.m. and was in the air for about 10 minutes before it hit several geese, American Airlines said in a statement.
The pilot declared an emergency and the flight landed safely on Runway 31 a short time later, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Port Authority firefighters responded to the aircraft. The vessel was evaluated for airworthiness and taken out of service, airline officials said.
None of the seven crew members or the 126 passengers on board the plane were injured, the airline said. Passengers returned to the terminal and were scheduled to depart on a different plane Tuesday afternoon.
The FAA investigation is ongoing.
