An Amazon-operated Airbus A330-300 (operating as Alaska Airlines 2616) returned to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) on Jan. 28 after the crew reported a bird strike to the left engine and smoke in the cockpit. The flight departed at 3:05 p.m. and landed back at 3:13 p.m., with only two people on board and no injuries. Emergency crews found no active fire and the jet was towed to Amazon’s air hub for inspection.
Amazon Cargo Airbus Makes Emergency Return to CVG After Bird Strike, Crew Reports Smoke
An Amazon cargo plane is towed off the runway at CVG International Airport in Kentucky on Jan. 28.WLWT/YouTube
An Amazon-operated Airbus A330-300, flying under the call sign Alaska Airlines 2616 through one of Amazon’s carrier partners, made an emergency return to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) on Jan. 28 after the flight crew reported a bird strike to the left engine and smoke in the cockpit.
Incident Details
The Airbus departed CVG at 3:05 p.m. local time en route to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. According to FlightAware tracking and an air traffic control recording obtained by LiveATC.net, the crew reported, “Left engine, we took a bird intake, we just want to come back and land,” while climbing toward 3,000 feet. Seconds later the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.
An Amazon cargo planeMarcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty
“Alaska 2616 heavy, we have smoke in the cockpit.”
Air traffic controllers guided the aircraft back to the field. The jet touched down at 3:13 p.m., eight minutes after departure. Pilots indicated they would stop on the runway and confirmed there were only “two souls on board.”
Response and Aftermath
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Crash Fire Rescue (CFR) crews inspected the aircraft and found no active fire. The crew had requested a ladder — noting the reported fire was on the left side and that right-side access would be preferable. Emergency responders arranged to have the aircraft towed to Amazon’s air cargo hub at CVG for further inspection.
The Amazon Air Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.Jeffrey Dean/Bloomberg via Getty
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed to PEOPLE that no injuries were reported. In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said the aircraft “experienced a bird strike shortly after takeoff,” added that the crew is safe, and said any impact to customers is expected to be minimal. CVG did not provide a comment to PEOPLE.
Context
Bird strikes remain a known hazard during takeoff and landing phases of flight. This incident highlights coordination among flight crews, air traffic control and airport emergency services that helped return the aircraft to the ground safely.
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