Flight headed to Phoenix turns back after bird strike

PHOENIX — A Phoenix-bound flight from Tennessee was forced to return to the gate shortly after takeoff Wednesday when a bird hit an engine.

The bird strike sent Southwest Flight 577 back to the Nashville International Airport runway around 5:15 a.m. There were no injuries reported.

Airline spokeswoman Michelle Agnew said in an email said the plane would undergo a maintenance review and would be out of service for the time being. Passengers were to arrive in the Valley two hours behind schedule.

A Southwest flight headed to Phoenix from Nashville was forced to turn around Wednesday morning after the plane struck a bird. https://t.co/RAEnVAuByT

— WDTN (@WDTN) April 18, 2018

Just one day before, a passenger died on a Southwest flight out of New York during an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

An engine blew to pieces, shattering a window. Bank executive Jennifer Riordan of New Mexico was nearly sucked from the plane and died from her injuries.

Seven others were hurt.

The flight had been scheduled to land in Dallas.

Southwest said there were no problems with that plane or its engine when it was inspected Sunday.

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