A United Airlines passenger jet bound for Miami had to return to Chicago on Friday after hitting a bird, the airline said.
The bird strike happened just after it took off from O’Hare International Airport, according to United. Flight 1930, a Boeing 737-900, returned to the airport.
“The aircraft landed safely and passengers deplaned at the gate,” United said in a statement. Passengers were put on a different plane, it said.
The Chicago Department of Aviation said that it got a call for “standby alert” at 11:14 a.m.
Reported bird strikes on civil aircraft have generally been increasing over the years, although the number varies per year.
In 2021, there were 14,564 reported bird strikes, according to a Federal Aviation Administration report, and aircraft also struck bats, “terrestrial mammals” and reptiles.
Of all the wildlife strikes last year, 648 caused damage to the aircraft.
Over half of bird strikes, around 53 percent, happen from July to October when young birds emerge from the nest or when fall migration occurs, according to the FAA.
