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By Jason Lemon and Natalie Venegas
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A FedEx cargo plane caught fire shortly after take-off from Newark Airport in New Jersey on Saturday morning after a bird strike.
The aircraft, a Boeing 767-3S2F, was in flames as it returned to the tarmac, landing at 8:07 a.m.—just 9 minutes after take-off.
Why It Matters
The incident comes amid ongoing safety concerns about flying in North America. Over the past two months, there have been at least four major aviation incidents, which have increased Americans' hesitancy about flight safety.
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President Donald Trump's administration is currently under scrutiny for letting hundreds of probationary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees go only weeks after the deadliest U.S. crash in decades when an American Airlines regional jet collided with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., in late January, killing 67 people.
What To Know
A FedEx cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Newark Airport on Saturday morning after a bird strike ignited one of its engines, an airport official told Fox News.
Despite the fiery engine, the Boeing twin-jet aircraft landed safely with no injuries reported. It remains unclear how many people were on board at the time. Airport operations were temporarily paused as a precaution but have since resumed normal activity, according to the official.
FedEx, in a statement emailed to Newsweek on Saturday, said the flight had been en route to Indianapolis when the bird strike occurred.
"FedEx Flight 3609 from Newark to Indianapolis experienced a bird strike during takeoff," the company said. "Our crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders."
The incident briefly disrupted air traffic at one of the nation's busiest airports, highlighting the persistent dangers posed by bird strikes to aviation safety.
The FAA, in an emailed statement to Newsweek, said the agency is investigating the incident, which damaged one of Boeing's 767's engines.
"FedEx Flight 3609 safely returned to Newark Liberty International Airport around 8 a.m. local time on Saturday, March 1, after striking a bird while departing. The strike damaged one of the Boeing 767's engines. The flight was headed to Indianapolis. The FAA will investigate," the FAA said.
In addition, the FAA said it records each collision between aircraft and wildlife as it is part of a concerning rise in bird strikes across the country.
According to the FAA in December, more than 19,400 incidents were reported at 713 airports across the U.S. in 2023 alone. However, it said bird strikes rarely cause such significant damage that they force commercial airliners to make emergency landings.
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What People Are Saying
Anthony Brickhouse, a U.S.-based aviation safety expert, told CNN in January: "I don't know that passengers should be worried, but I think it's important for the flying public to be vocal and demand that the government and the different entities do everything possible to make air travel as safe as possible...."
He added that "statistically speaking, you're safer in your flight than you were driving in your car to the airport" and that "air travel remains the safest mode of transportation.
What Happens Next
While the FAA will investigate Saturday's incident, it comes as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the other major plane crashes, with more details on what led to the catastrophes likely to emerge over the coming weeks and months.
Update 3/1/25, 10:22 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 3/1/25, 11:08 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and comments from the FAA and FedEx.
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