A plane in Japan with 122 passengers on board had to make an emergency landing after it was hit by a bird, causing its wing and engine to burst into flames. The Boeing 737-800 plane of T'Way Air flight 216 was about the land at Incheon airport in South Korea at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday last week when it ran into unexpected trouble, according to TBS News Dig, a local outlet. A bird flew into the starboard engine, seemingly getting caught in it leading to the alarming scenes.
A video of the incident surfaced on social media, where it received a lot of traction. It was a clip from local Japanese television stations that showed the plane on fire while trying to land.
The plane's starboard engine caught fire, as reported by TBS News Dig after the bird hit.
One passenger on board also filmed the video that showed flames sputtering and erupting from the plane's engine as pilot decided to carry out emergency landing. The flames were almost down to the plane's tail.
Other videos from the ground showed the burning plane soaring down through the sky, towards the airport. It had taken off from Narita International Airport in Tokyo.
Reports said the pilot was forced to abort its first landing, and carry out another.
"My hands were shaking and my family couldn't even speak a single word, so I was really scared. I don't think I'll ever be able to fly again," one unidentified passenger told TBS News Dig.
Days later, a domestic flight of Japan's All Nippon Airways returned to its departure airport after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft mid-air.
Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport but headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airport after the crack was found on the outermost of four layers of windows surrounding the cockpit, a spokesperson for the airline said.
There were no injuries reported among the 59 passengers and six crew.
Earlier this month, a Boeing 737-9 MAX plane of Alaska Airlines faced an emergency landing after one of its doors blew open mid-air, minutes after take-off.
