HOUSTON — Two United Airlines flights made emergency landings at Bush Intercontinental Airport after they both were hit by birds following takeoff Tuesday evening.
United Flight 847 was leaving for Chile while the other, United Flight 2086, was headed to Las Vegas when they had to turn around to get inspected by the airline.
No injuries were reported on either flight.
Flight 847
Air traffic control audio gives a glimpse into the moment the plane headed to Chile hit something.
“Houston, right when we leveled off at 4,000, we heard a loud pop and we could feel something,” the pilot said.
The pilot is then heard saying they'll continue their climb but will contact maintenance and get back to air traffic control.
Moments later, they determine it may have been a bird strike.
"You, you think you hit something?” air traffic control asked.
“We were leveling off 4,000 feet, we felt a loud, or we heard a very loud strike to the front right of aircraft. All three pilots that felt subsequent strike unsure if it was a bird, uh, we didn't see it," one pilot replied. "Uh, it could be a bird. It could be a drone, we don't know. But all we know is we hit something," one of the pilots said.
Shortly after, United 847 diverted back to Bush Airport, dumping fuel along the way, to make an emergency landing.
Emergency crews rushed to the plane to make sure everyone got out safely.
The flight departed around 9 a.m. after completing an inspection.
Flight 2086
United Flight 2086 departed IAH Tuesday night and also hit a bird.
"We are declaring the emergency for the bird strike. Uh, we've got 168 souls on board," a pilot told air traffic control.
The pilot then tells the tower there are no visible signs of damage.
"From what we can tell, there's no cracks or anything in the windshield."
Flight 2086 also landed safely and was checked out before departing again for Vegas where it landed just after midnight.
The FAA said bird strikes can cause serious damage and put lives at risk.
"To help reduce the chances of them happening, the FAA is researching new technology that would shoo birds away from oncoming aircraft," they tweeted Wednesday.
Peak bird migration season
According to the National Park Service, the peak time for migrating birds is the last two weeks of April and the first week of May. That may explain the back-to-back bird strikes.
That's also why the largest bird-watching tournament in Texas is taking place this weekend in The Woodlands.
"In Harris County, the absolute pinnacle of bird migration starts tomorrow. It’s from [April] 27 through May 2, but migration, in general, starts all the way from April to did-May," said Kelsey Biles with the Houston Audubon.
Biles said bright lights at airports can attract some birds and could cause more strikes.
