On Thursday, an American Airlines flight headed to North Carolina was forced to return to New York City after it seemingly collided with a bird.

The Airbus A321, Flight 1722, took off from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) around 7:21 p.m. for its destination: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Following a reported bird strike, the flight was redirected to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), as confirmed by American Airlines.

At approximately 7:43 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed LaGuardia about the diversion, linking it to the reported bird collision, as noted by the Port Authority.

The aircraft, which was carrying 190 passengers along with six crew members, landed safely at JFK, where it was examined by the American Airlines maintenance team. The JFK runway temporarily closed for about 10 minutes, per the Port Authority’s statement.

No Injuries After Bird Strike on American Airlines Flight

According to American Airlines, there were no reported injuries from the incident.

“We appreciate our crew’s professionalism and apologize to our passengers for the disruption this may have caused,” the airline stated.

The airline also mentioned that it provided hotel accommodations for passengers on Thursday night, and the flight was rescheduled to depart on Friday, arriving at Charlotte Douglas International Airport just before noon ET.

The FAA is currently investigating the incident, as reported to YSL News.

Incidents Involving Birds and Wildlife in Aviation

Since the 2009 incident involving a US Airways plane that struck a flock of Canada geese while departing LaGuardia, which led to the “Miracle on the Hudson,” the FAA has invested $30 million into radar and scanner technology research aimed at detecting birds near aircraft.

Following that incident, which ended with Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger safely landing in the Hudson River with no fatalities, reports of animal strikes have increased. This trend continued up until a drop in air travel due to the pandemic in 2020. Officials believe much of the rise in reported strikes can be attributed to improved reporting from pilots, tower personnel, and maintenance workers.