During takeoff from Myrtle Beach in South California on Monday, Aug. 10, an American Airlines B737 hit several birds, causing flames to shoot from the aircraft’s engine. The flames led to an eventual emergency landing.
The Incident
Onboard American Airlines Flight 1760, 181 passengers were flying towards Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina. However, during takeoff, the aircraft hit birds, causing flames and eventually becoming an emergency large enough to force the plane to return to its original destination.
According to CNN, a pilot witnessed the strike and communicated on the radio what he had seen:
“I saw he took up birds, it looked like, at least in the left side engine”, said the pilot.
Another person who saw the incident was Lindsey Mackey, who was at the beach when she heard loud noises and, on the left side of the aircraft, saw a strong orange light.
Patrick Gotwalt was a passenger on flight 1760 and managed to film the engine shooting fire from his seat. In the video, the viewer can see large orange flashes and a lot of smoke coming out of the engine.
Airlines’ Engine Issues
24,000 wildfire plane strikes were recorded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2025. Although not all of them caused engines to shoot fire, several led to emergencies and/or flight disruptions.
Data is yet to be released regarding the number of engine fires in 2026, and there is no comprehensive estimate so far. Nonetheless, a few notorious ones have occurred this year. For instance, on Jan. 18, a JetBlue service from Aruba to New York had its left turbofan engine fail, leading to an immediate emergency landing.
How do you think airlines could decrease the number of incidents involving birds? Why do you believe so? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
