A Brazilian airplane was struck by birds shortly after takeoff, leaving a large hole in the front and a dent on the other side, both stained with blood.
According to reports from the Brazilian news agency, on Thursday (February 20), Latam flight LA3367 from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo was hit by birds shortly after takeoff, forcing an emergency landing.
Photos show that the Airbus A321-231 aircraft had a large hole in the front and another dent on the side, surrounded by blood stains.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but the flight was ultimately canceled.
Jerome Cadier, the CEO of Latam Airlines Brazil, expressed his frustration. He posted on LinkedIn on Thursday, “Today there was a sudden incident! Another bird strike incident has occurred.”
Cadier stated that while the plane safely returned, the flight cancellation disrupted the lives of all passengers and also disrupted the airline’s operations.
“I bet the first lawsuit against the airline for compensation for the mental distress caused by the flight cancellation will appear tomorrow… The Brazilian aviation industry is still in operation… The question is: who will foot the bill?” the executive wrote.
According to the “Northeast Daily,” a few days before this incident, another flight, Latam 3319, flying from Fortaleza Airport to Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, was struck by birds shortly after taking off.
The media reported that this flight also had to make an emergency landing back at Fortaleza Airport.