American Airlines flight heading to Pittsburgh diverted due to bird strike Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

THE -- CHANDI WAS THERE. REPORTER: I SPOKE T SOME, AIRLINE PASSENGERS WHO SAY THEY , HEARD A LOUD BANG. THEY SMELLED SOMETHING STRANGE AND KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. A BIRD STRIKE FORCES A PLANE GOING TO PITTSBURGH TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS AND HEAD BACK TO LAGUARDIA AIRPORT IN NEW YORK. >> IT’S BEEN A HOT MESS. CHANDI: PASSENGERS ON THE MORNING FLIGHT SAY THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN THEY HEARD THE NOISE AND SMELLED BURNING. >> WE HEARD SOMETHING AND IT SMELLED, BUT WE WERE NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS. CHANDI: UNTIL THE PILOT ALERTED THE 96 PASSENGERS AND FOUR CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD THE AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, THE PLANE HIT A SEAGULL. >> WE’D LIKE TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AND GO BACK TO LGA. >> THEY SAID IT WENT INTO THE ENGINE, AND IT WAS NOT FLYABLE. CHANDI: IT’S BEEN A LONG TRIP FOR AMY TARCHICK AND HER DAUGHTER. THEY WERE STRANDED IN NEW YORK BECAUSE OF A FLIGHT CANCELLATION AND ENDED UP ON THIS FLIGHT. >> I WAS JUST IN SHOCK. I JUST COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. ALL OF US WERE JUST TRYING TO GET HOME, BECAUSE MOST OF US WERE ON THE CANCELED FLIGHT FROM THE DAY BEFORE CHANDI: SHE IS NOW JUST THANKFUL EVERYONE IS SAFE. >> WE’RE HAPPY TO BE THAT WE LANDED, THAT’S FOR SURE. REPORTER: AND SHE’S GLAD TO BE BACK IN PITTSBURGH. >> WE LOVE NEW YORK, SO WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO BE THERE, BUT ARE REALLY HAPPY TO BE HOME. REPORTER: AND WHILE IT

SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks. Submit Privacy Notice