HOUSTON – An international flight from Houston was turned around Monday after a bird strike.
United Airlines Flight 854 from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Lima, Peru, hit a bird or a flock of birds shortly after takeoff about 4 p.m.
Passengers said they knew something was wrong before the crew said anything. They said they had not been in the air very long when they felt the plane hit something.
"We were like 40 minutes into our flight and then all of a sudden we hear this big thump and like the airplane like started moving along and turbulence," said passenger Stephanie New. "Then they announced, oh yeah, we just hit a flock of birds and you're going to have to go back to the airport and everyone was like oh my God."
The flight was turned around and the plane landed safely. No injuries were reported.
Passengers said they waited on board for about an hour before the flight was cancelled. They spent Monday night at a hotel in downtown and are scheduled to fly to Peru Tuesday at 11 a.m. or 4 p.m.
Bird strikes are a common aviation problem and normally do little damage. There are exceptions, including the landing of a U.S. Air flight in the Hudson River in New York City in January 2009.
As many as 200 deaths have been attributed to aircraft bird strikes in the past 20 years.