CLEARWATER, Fla. — A bird strike forced an Allegiant Air flight to turn around shortly after take-off and return to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.
Flight 996 departed its gate at 6:49 a.m. Wednesday en route to Omaha, Nebraska, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Tracking data shows the plane took off heading north, but it suddenly turned west just past the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a possible bird strike around 7:10 a.m. Allegiant Air later confirmed birds did strike the plane shortly after takeoff.
An emergency was declared, which according to the air carrier is standard procedure to ensure that a flight receives priority handling when it lands.
The plane returned safely to the airport, the FAA said. There are no reports of anyone hurt onboard.
"We are very sorry for the inconvenience," Allegiant Air said in a statement. "A replacement aircraft has been dispatched to continue the flight and take the passengers to Omaha, Neb."
The FAA said it will investigate the incident.