Plane returns to NAIA after bird strike

MANILA, Philippines - A Cebu Pacific Airbus 320 returned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway after taking off for Bacolod yesterday morning.

Flight 5J 475 pilot Capt. Wilmer Nicdao radioed the control tower while taking off at around 7:44 a.m. and asked to return for landing due to a bird strike. The plane, which carried 104 passengers and six crewmembers, landed safely 10 minutes later.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said some birds were sucked into the plane’s engine during takeoff.

CAAP said that Nicdao informed the control tower that as they were climbing out of Manila, birds suddenly crossed their path.

Birds usually roam at the NAIA seeking food, especially in the grassy areas near the airport’s runway.

An airport official said that along the runway have always been a problem despite a bird control system and hazard prevention equipment. He said most bird strikes happen as planes take off.

Flight 5J 475, the CAAP said, was cleared for takeoff after aircraft engineers finished inspecting the plane for possible damage.