(CNN) A Southwest Airlines flight to Fort Lauderdale was forced to return to Havana, Cuba on Sunday morning after suffering bird strikes, the carrier said.
In a statement to CNN on Sunday, Southwest said the plane suffered bird strikes.
“Southwest Flight #3923 departing Havana, Cuba, for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sunday morning reportedly suffered bird strikes to an engine and nose of the aircraft shortly after takeoff,” the report said. communicated. “The pilots returned safely to Havana where customers evacuated the aircraft via slides due to the sighting of smoke in the cabin.”
Passengers and crew then took a bus to the terminal and arrangements were made for the flight to Fort Lauderdale, according to Southwest.
“We commend the prompt and professional actions of our pilots and flight attendants in responding to this event. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and have reached out to meet their needs and offer assistance,” Southwest said in the statement.
Cuban state media Radio Rebelde said the plane “detected failures in one of its engines during the take-off process”, citing Cuban Aviation Corporation SA.
Once the plane was cleared to land in Havana, the passengers were evacuated and were in “good condition”, Radio Rebelde said.
“CACSA has indicated that the causes behind this event are under investigation and underlined that at present the airport facility maintains its regular operations,” Radio Rebelde said.
Asked about the reported engine failures, a spokesperson for Southwest told CNN the company “will examine the aircraft to assess damage but has no additional details to share at this time.”
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