A United Airlines flight was on descent into Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday, October 28, when, as it was nearing 2,200 feet above sea level, it encountered a bird strike as it approached runway 22L. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-900ER, was able to continue safely to the runway and arrived three minutes later.
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United Airlines had been operating UA327, one of three daily services connecting the Californian city of San Diego to the Big Apple. The flight, scheduled to depart from San Diego International Airport (SAN) at 07:15, was pushed back from the gate at 07:41 for the four-hour and 50-minute journey across the continent to New York.
Source: Flightradar24
The flight departed from SAN from the airport's easterly runway, ascending across the Pacific Ocean before cutting back over the San Diego Bay and setting course to New York. Traveling at a cruising altitude of 33,000 feet, the flight traveled as usual for most of the journey. As the flight approached the airspace above Illinois, it ascended to 35,000 feet before commencing its descent above the Susquehannock State Forest in Pennsylvania before descending into Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
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N75425, the Boeing 737-900ER operating the flight, approached Newark from the South, passing over Lebanon, Bridgewater, Randolph, and Paterson before turning toward Newark's southerly runway 22L. According to data from Flightradar24, the aircraft reached the Garfield / Hasbrouck Heights area, as was around 2,200, where the bird strike occurred.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
The crew onboard was able to handle the situation with skill and continued onto Newark, arriving three minutes later. The aircraft was able to taxi onto the gate and arrived at 15:31, 11 minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival time of 15:42.
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✕ Remove Ads Aircraft remained grounded for inspection
Following the incident, the 16.4-year-old 737-900ER remained grounded while the United Airlines maintenance team at Newark Airport inspected before the aircraft was given the all-clear to recommence scheduled operations. The aircraft returned to service on Saturday, October 30, operating a direct return service to Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) as UA2464 and UA1298.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
According to a statement by the Federal Aviation Administration, the damage incurred to the aircraft was classed as minor, however, advised the below, as reported by AvHerald:
'(UA327) Struck a bird at 2,200 feet on final approach. Aircraft sustained a deep dent on left engine cowling.'
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Simple Flying reached out to United Airlines for a statement on the incident; however, they did not hear back when this article was published. We will update this article once more information is received.
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16.4 year old Boeing 737-900ER
The aircraft at the center of the strike is a 16.4-year-old Boeing 737-900ER. Taking its first flight on June 23, 2008, the aircraft joined the Continental Airlines fleet on June 30 that same year. It remained the same registration since its delivery, N75425, and holds serial number 33460. Transferring to United Airlines on November 30, 2011, the aircraft is configured to transport 20 business and 159 economy class passengers in a two-cabin configuration. Two CFMI CFM56-7B26 engines power the aircraft according to ch-Aviation.
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While bird strikes are increasingly common, aircraft engines can severely damage fan blades if this incident occurs. In dire situations, it can lead to the engines failing and an emergency landing being declared. You can read more about bird strikes below:
Related Here's What Happens During A Bird Strike
A closer look at what happens when a collision occurs between an aircraft and an airborne creature.
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