During the Take off A gull may have flown into the engine of an Airbus A321 Condor.
The plane, registered D-AIAD, took off last Thursday evening at 6:20 pm local time in a northerly direction from Madeira, a Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean known for its rough landings, towards Leipzig, Germany. However, during take-off, the A321 likely collided with a seagull. The camera captured the departure and recorded how some flames appeared from the right engine during the rotation.
Damages big and small
Bird strike effect, also known as a Bird attack, depends on the size of the bird. In many cases, the damage to young birds is limited, but even then it may sometimes be decided to return to the (closest) airport. In the case of larger birds, the damage can be significant. There is a possibility that the motor blades may be damaged. As a result, they can function less optimally. In the most severe scenario, engine power decreases. Hence a return is inevitable.
Fly to Leipzig
None of these cases occurred on the A321 this week. The machine took off and flew “normally” to its destination in just over four hours. However, since the plane arrived in Germany on Thursday, it has been grounded. It is not known what the reason is, and it is not clear when the plane will return to airspace.
