A PACKED holiday plane was left with a smashed nose and damaged engine after hitting a large bird midair – forcing 182 terrified passengers into an emergency landing.
Iberia flight IB579 had just lifted off from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport en route to Paris-Orly on Sunday when horror struck.
The bird, believed to be a vulture, was later sucked into the plane’s left engine[/caption]
The 182 terrified passengers on board the flight saw the cabin filled with smoke and forced to wear oxygen masks[/caption]
Just minutes into the climb and at least 6,500 feet in the air, the Airbus jet collided with what’s believed to be a vulture – triggering panic in the cabin.
The bird first struck the nose section, shattering the radome that houses the weather radar.
But things got worse after the bird was sucked into the left engine, leaving several fan blades damaged.
Photos taken on the ground reveal the full extent of the chaos – with a large portion of the aircraft’s sleek new nose torn away, exposing its internal radar systems.
The plane, a state-of-the-art Airbus A321NEO XLR, is one of the most modern in the world and was just four weeks old at the time of the incident.
Panic quickly spread among passengers as the cabin filled with smoke.
One woman said: “We couldn’t breathe.”
Passengers described having to pull down oxygen masks themselves as the crew prepared for an emergency return.
Spanish air traffic controllers confirmed the crew declared an emergency and requested to return to Madrid.
They shared on social media: “The crew of the flight departing from Madrid-Barajas to Paris informs us of impact with bird.
“They request to return to Barajas in an emergency.”
Emergency protocols were immediately activated at the airport.
The flight was given priority landing and directed to runway 32L, where fire crews and emergency responders were already waiting.
Passengers disembarked via regular stairs after a safe touchdown around 25 minutes after takeoff.
No injuries have been reported, according to Spanish outlet El Mundo.
Air traffic controllers praised the crew’s calm and professional behaviour, saying the incident “was a scare” but highlighted the tension onboard.
A video captured by flyer Giancarlo Sandoval showed clearly shaken travellers donning oxygen masks during the crisis.
In another clip from the cabin, user @mario.hdez17 wrote in Spanish: “You never know when the last time you can say thank you, sorry, and I love you will be.
“So if you’re hesitating, do it.”
The jet has since been pulled from service for a detailed technical inspection.
Iberia had only recently begun flying the A321XLR on shorter European routes to train crews ahead of long-haul deployments across the Atlantic.
Sunday’s terrifying incident is a sharp reminder of the dangers bird strikes still pose to modern aviation.
And while this close call ended without tragedy, others haven’t been as lucky.
In December 2024, a Jeju Air flight in South Korea suffered a bird strike to both engines, crash-landing and bursting into flames – killing 179 of the 181 passengers onboard.
The strike shattered the nose’s radome, the part of the plane that houses the weather radar[/caption]
Flight monitors captured the plane making a U-turn to land back in Madrid[/caption]
