Spirit plane catches fire after hitting bird at Atlantic City, New Jersey airport

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey (WABC) – Spirit Airlines flight from Atlantic City to Fort Lauderdale struck a “large bird” as it accelerated for take-off, causing engine damage and forcing passengers and crew to evacuate, according to the airline.

The incident was reported on Saturday afternoon.

The pilot applied the brakes and brought the aircraft to a stop.

Video filmed from inside the airport showed flames and smoke on one side of the plane before the emergency slides were released.

Spirit said in a statement that they “congratulated ‘their crew’ for handling the situation quickly and safely,” and said all the guests had evacuated the plane and were taken back by bus to the terminal.

The airline said guests received a full refund, a future travel voucher and the option to travel to Fort Lauderdale on another plane.

“Spirit A320 was leaving ACY for Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. At approximately 5:49 pm, the aircraft’s engine caught fire on runway 13-31. 109 people on board: 102 passengers and 7 crew. successfully evacuated the plane So far we have reported 2 minor injuries which required medical transportation No further injuries were reported The airport is currently closed The plane is still on the runway but the fire is extinguished. The plane will remain there pending an investigation by the NTSB and the FAA. “

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy tweeted that there were “no serious injuries.”

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