bird strike
A recent American Airlines flight from Mexico City to Miami was struck by a bird that became lodged in the plane’s nose mid-flight. Instagram/Miami Plane Spotter

A recent American Airlines flight from Mexico City to Miami was struck by a bird that became lodged in the plane’s nose mid-flight. The airline confirmed the incident in a statement to International Business Times.

“American Airlines Flight 1498 from Mexico City to Miami encountered a bird strike upon landing Nov. 14. The flight landed safely and taxied to the gate,” the airline said. “The aircraft was temporarily taken out of service as our maintenance team repaired the radome. The aircraft was repaired, and returned to scheduled service later that same day.”

A representative for the carrier told Fox News in a statement that no one was injured during the incident.

A news clip from ABC captured the aftermath. An unnamed employee told ABC-affiliate WPLG that while carriers do deal with bird strikes, they are “never like this.” It was not clear whether the individual worked for American Airlines, Miami International Airport or another employer.

A flight safety specialist for the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) told the Telegraph earlier this year that bird strikes aren’t usually dangerous.

“Aircraft are designed and built to withstand bird strikes and pilots undergo rigorous training to enable them to deal with eventualities like a bird strike,” Stephen Landells told the Telegraph. “In my flying career I have experienced 10 bird strikes, none of which caused any significant damage. On half the occasions, in fact, due to the small size of the birds, I was not aware that I had hit one until inspecting the aircraft after landing.”

Images of the plane were also shared by the Miami Plane Spotter account on Instagram.

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