Panic as Jet2 plane engine catches fire after bird strike at Manchester Airport

A Jet2 plane travelling to Manchester from Barcelona was forced to make an emergency landing at Manchester Airport yesterday (Thursday) after a bird was reportedly sucked into one of its engines - causing flames to appear.

Passengers on the plane described hearing banging noises and said they could see flames coming from the engine.

See also: Horror as plane engine catches fire on takeoff after bird strike

See also: Thomas Cook Manchester-Egypt flight returns to airport after bird strike

Speaking to the BBC, passenger Rowan Franks said: "There was a large banging from the engine and vibrations throughout the aircraft and then we could see some flames coming from behind the engine.

"The pilot told us to get into the brace position. I was trying to keep calm and keep my girlfriend calm.

"There were a few panicked faces around and few tears here and there."

Another passenger, Kathryn Lowe, told the Manchester Evening News: "It was just terrifying. I don't normally cry, but I burst into tears. I really thought that might be it.

"I texted my mum and asked her to look after the animals.

"When we came back down the second time we were told to get into the brace position. It was a really smooth landing in the end. All the staff did a fantastic job.

"But I will still never get on a plane again that's for sure."

Witnesses on the ground also took to Twitter to say they could hear the engine "popping" as the plane flew past.

And videos on YouTube show flames shooting out of the plane.

A source at Manchester Airport confirmed the incident was a bird strike, telling the Mirror: "The bird was sucked into the engine, instead of being blown out, and that's what caused it to backfire.

"They do a standard procedure, called a go around, where the plane circles back round and comes in again to land. It landed and then it was escorted back by the fire crew."

This is the second bird strike in less than a week that has forced an emergency on a UK passenger plane. On Tuesday, a Gatwick-bound Flybe flight was struck by a flock of seagulls as it was taking off from Newquay.

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