July 7, 2009

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, flight WN-69 from Baltimore,MD to Providence,RI (USA) with 126 people on board, struck a flock of birds while taking off Baltimore’s runway 28. The airplane was cleared for an immediate landing at runway 33L, where the airplane landed safely about 10 minutes after liftoff.

A runway inspection of runway 28 revealed about 40 carcasses of starling sized birds on the ground just clear of intersection of runway 28 and 33L. The birds were later identified as European Starlings.

A replacement Boeing 737-300 resumed the flight with a delay of 4.5 hours.