A US jetliner taking off from Cuba had engine trouble after hitting birds and returned to Havana for an emergency landing on Sunday, Cuban authorities said.
Smoke entered the cabin of the plane but no one was injured in the incident involving Southwest Airlines flight 3923 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said the airline and the Cuban civil aviation authority, Cacsa.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 147 passengers and a crew of six, Southwest Airlines said.
Este es un video desde dentro del avión, en el que al parecer ha entrado humo a la cabina. Un pasajero ha declarado que se ha escuchado una explosión en uno de los motores, lo que ha ocasionado el aterrizaje de emergencia.
📸 Unknown pic.twitter.com/Z4LgPKKca5
— On The Wings of Aviation (@OnAviation) March 5, 2023
Birds struck one of the plane’s engines and its nose shortly after takeoff.
“The pilots safely returned to Havana where customers evacuated the aircraft via slides due to smoke in the cabin,” Southwest said.
The travellers would be put on another flight to Fort Lauderdale, Southwest said.
Cacsa said the incident was being investigated.