SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Southwest Airlines flight landed at the Sacramento International Airport Saturday morning after a bird strike, officials with the Federal Aviation Administration said.
According to the FAA, the Boeing 737 departed Hollywood Burbank Airport around 9 a.m. Saturday. The bird strike impacted the plane's left engine.
Carin Dickmeyer was a passenger on the flight and says as the landing gear came out, problems started.
"It started to sound like, almost like farm equipment... and the noise kept persisting," she said. "I became extremely concerned when I started to smell smoke, like there was a fire occurring, then flight attendants started running up and down the center of the plane."
She said people began to yell 'fire' and 'bird strike' as flight attendants took their seats and the plane began to descend.
"I was very frightened," she said. "The captain came on and said — I was hearing a lot of different numbers — that we had taken on three birds, five birds, and the fact that there was a fire was also alarming."
The airplane landed safely at SMF following the strike, officials said. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
Dickmeyer says passengers were cheering and clapping upon landing and learning their plane was cleared and they were able to get off. She stresses people listen to the safety instructions at the beginning of flights and have a game plan in the case of an emergency.
"You could literally save your life," she said. "Things are replaceable, but your life and your safety, your health, it just isn't. So really pay attention to what [flight attendants] are telling you. They're there to help you."
In a statement, Southwest Airlines said that the aircraft was taken out of service.
"Flight 1707 from Burbank to Sacramento landed safely without incident in Sacramento after a potential bird strike," the statement said. "The aircraft has been taken out of service for a maintenance review. Customers arrived safely and on time to their planned destination."
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