Bird strikes are dangerous, inconvenient and costly - Curt Lewis

Delta Air Lines flight turns around after bird strike Passengers say bird was red-tailed hawk SEATAC, Wash. - A Delta Air Lines flight turned around after a bird hit an engine Thursday afternoon. An alert came in for flight 281 shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The flight took off from Sec-Tac headed to Hong Kong; the plane was over the Olympics when it turned around. The A-330 either dumped or burned fuel as it for an emergency landing. It landed safely and heavy, meaning it had a lot of fuel, shortly before 4:20 p.m. >> VIDEO: Sea-Tac shows KIRO 7 how to protect passengers on planes from bird strikes One passenger saw the engine burst into flames and others heard a thump, Sea-Tac spokesman Perry Cooper said. The bird was a red-tailed hawk that hit the landing gear and was sucked into the engine. The passengers are trying to get vouchers, including some who planned a trip to Hong Kong Disney. It's not clear exactly how many people are onboard. "Out of an abundance of caution, the crew of Delta flight 281 from Seattle to Hong Kong made the decision to return to Sea-Tac International after a possible bird strike was observed after take-off," a delta spokesman said. "No emergency has been declared. Delta technicians will examine the aircraft and a decision will be made on the flight's status as soon as possible. Safety of our customers and crew is always Delta's top priority."