An ITA Italia Trasporto Aereo Airbus A320neo passenger plane was left with an impacted nostril after struggling a chicken strike shortly after takeoff.
The ITA Airbus A320neo, registered EI-HOC, departed Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO) simply earlier than 09:00 on March 7, 2024, and was as a result of arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) round two and half hours later.
As flight FL340 started to climb following takeoff the chicken struck the plane’s nostril cone however with none seen issues the flight crew continued the flight.
However, round 20 minutes later the choice was taken to return to Rome, and the plane ultimately landed 45 minutes after it took off.
A photograph of the broken plane was shared on social media which confirmed the nostril indented as a result of drive inflicted by the chicken strike.
The passengers onboard the flight had been deplaned and a alternative Airbus A320-200 was offered to finish the journey to Amsterdam.
The broken Airbus A320neo, which was lower than a 12 months old, was leased to ITA by AerCap.
ITA Italia Trasporto Aereo Airbus A320neo broken its nostril cone following a chicken strike on departure from Rome Fiumicino Airport. The plane returned safely to the airport 45 minutes later. pic.twitter.com/J1xNC8mqXC
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 7, 2024
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) chicken strikes trigger industrial airways “annual damages in the millions.”
“Many pilots are not aware that a collision with a soft-feathered bird can lead to serious damage; such as a destroyed windshield that can injure the pilots, clogged air intakes, a broken pitot tube, damaged brake lines, holes or dents in the fuselage or wings, or in the case of helicopters; damaged blades,” the EASA stated.
