Jet lands with one engine

Jet lands with one engine

The Ryanair passenger jet was bound for Dublin

A passenger jet was forced to land with just one engine after a bird collided with the aircraft minutes after take-off.

Emergency services were placed on alert after the pilot of the Dublin-bound Boeing 737 announced the collision after taking off from Teesside Airport on Monday.

The pilot switched off the stricken engine and brought the plane into land at Teesside Airport at around 1645 BST.

The 138 passengers and crew on the Ryanair flight were transferred to another jet.

A spokesman for Teesside Airport said no delays had been caused to other flights.

The spokesman said: "Bird strikes are not a common occurrence.

"The pilot shut down the engine in case there was any damage to it, but aircraft are able to fly safely on one engine. "There was no risk to passenger safety.

"Another aircraft was brought in by Ryanair to take the passengers to Dublin, which left at 1930 BST.

"Everyone on the flight was fine and the aircraft that hit the bird is currently being examined by engineers to check the extent of the damage."

A spokesman for Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue said a state of emergency had been called at Teesside Airport and crews had been alerted but stood down after the plane landed safely.