TUI flight forced into emergency landing at Cardiff Airport after engine bursts into flames

TUI flight forced into emergency landing at Cardiff Airport after engine bursts into flames A TUI plane heading from Cardiff to Cyrpus encountered a flock of birds just minutes into the journey before one of the jet engines burst into flames mid-air A TUI flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Cardiff after the plane struck a bird shortly after take-off, causing the engine to burst into flames. Passengers departed Cardiff Airport on Wednesday afternoon and were heading to Paphos in Cyprus when the plane encountered a flock of birds just minutes into what was supposed to be a four-hour journey. Footage taken from inside the aircraft showed the birds flying to the right of the plane shortly after it left the runway. A bright orange flame then emerged from one of the jet engines underneath the right wing of the aircraft, as dozens of birds continue to fly nearby. The plane was then forced to make an unscheduled landing back at Cardiff Airport. A passenger who was on the flight said she had already been delayed around 20 minutes and then when it finally took off, it was not long before it landed back on the same runway, reports Wales Online. "We could smell the burning in the cabin - it was horrendous," she said. "When we landed there were two fire engines and loads of people checking the plane." A spokesman for Cardiff Airport said: "We responded to an incident involving TUI flight TOM5TN from Cardiff to Paphos on Wednesday, September 9. The aircraft experienced a bird strike on departure and landed safely at approximately 2.52pm. "All passengers and crew are safe. Cardiff Airport Fire and Rescue Service attended. The runway opened at 15.22pm and operations resumed." The rescheduled flight from Cardiff to Paphos departed at 12.25pm on Thursday, the airport confirmed. The UK saw more than 1,700 bird strikes last year alone, according to the Civil Aviation Authority. While bird strikes can be common, severe damage to an aircraft or human fatalities are said to be extremely rare across the world.