LEEDS – A Jet2 flight bound for the Greek islands was forced to abort its journey on Monday morning after a bird strike shortly after takeoff from Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA).
Flight LS443, serviced by a 28-year-old Boeing 737-800 (registration G-GDFD), departed Leeds Bradford destined for Heraklion. However, during the initial climb-out, the aircraft struck a bird, prompting the flight crew to immediately halt the climb and declare an issue.
Holding Pattern at Low Altitude
Following the strike, the veteran narrow-body aircraft leveled off at approximately 4,500 feet. Aviation trackers showed the plane circling at low altitude just south of the airport for several minutes as pilots performed safety checks and assessed the extent of the damage to the airframe or engines.
While the aircraft initially remained near Leeds, the decision was made to divert the flight to Manchester Airport (MAN) rather than returning to its point of origin.
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Why Divert to Manchester?
Diverting to Manchester is a common procedural move for aircraft experiencing technical issues in the region. Manchester offers:
- Longer Runways: Providing a higher margin of safety for aircraft that may have compromised performance.
- Extensive Maintenance Facilities: Allowing for immediate inspection of the 28-year-old Boeing 737.
- Operational Flexibility: Enabling Jet2 to more easily swap passengers onto a replacement aircraft to continue their journey to Crete.
Emergency services at Manchester Airport are placed on standby as a standard precautionary measure. The aircraft landed safely and was met by ground crews on the taxiway.
Updates
- Touch down at Manchester
- Two firetrucks rushing to the aircraft
- Met by emergency vehicles at the end of the runway
- Vacated the runway
- Now taxiing to the gate
