Bird strike grounds Cebu Pacific plane

A second bird strike in eight months hit a Cebu Pacific (CEB) flight on Tuesday, but the pilot managed to land the plane safely at Legazpi International Airport.

According to a report from the Aviation Security Unit (Avseu) in the Bicol region, CEB flight 5J 321 was making its descent on the runway around 6 a.m., Tuesday when it encountered a flock of birds.  The pilot however managed to maneuver the aircraft for a safe landing, the Avseu report said.  The plane was carrying some 100 passengers onboard.

On Jan. 3 this year, flight 5J 321 from Manila was approaching the runway for a landing at Legazpi airport when a flock of some 40 sparrows got sucked into the aircraft’s engine.

In a statement, CEB vice president for corporate affairs JR Mantaring apologized for “any inconvenience” the latest bird strike incident may have caused, saying that it was “due to factors beyond the airline’s control.”

The CEB maintenance team immediately conducted an inspection of the aircraft and found no damage on the plane.