A Spirit flight was about to take off for Fort Lauderdale. Then came the ‘large bird’
Passengers aboard a Spirit Airlines flight had a terrifying ordeal Saturday night and it had nothing to do with unruly passengers or face mask confrontations.
According to a spokesman for the Miramar-based airline, Flight 3044 with service to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport from Atlantic City was aborted before takeoff after “a large bird” flew into one of the engines.
After the captain brought the aircraft to a halt, 102 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated via emergency slides.
“The captain braked safely and brought the plane to a stop, received an indication of damage to the engine, and ordered an evacuation in accordance with our standard procedures,” the airline’s statement said.
Spirit added that all passengers got refunds, a future travel voucher as well as the option of traveling to Fort Lauderdale on another plane the same evening.
“We commend our crew for handling the situation swiftly and safely,” according to the statement.
The type of bird that flew into the engine is still unknown. The body parts are being investigated.
