French fighter jet diverts to Exeter Airport in mid-air emergency after bird strike

French fighter jet diverts to Exeter Airport in mid-air emergency after bird strike A French Rafale navy fighter jet suffered engine trouble following a bird strike over the English Channel and requested to land at Exeter Airport A French fighter jet has been forced to make an emergency landing at Exeter Airport after engine trouble. Residents across Exeter reported hearing the plane as it headed for the airport due to a problem with one of its two engines on Tuesday afternoon following a bird strike. Exeter Airport confirmed that a French Rafale navy fighter jet requested to land after reporting the issue while over the English Channel. The airport said the jet was met by a precautionary emergency response, which was stood down after a safe landing. The plane was awaiting inspection by engineers. A spokesman for Exeter Airport said: "A French Navy Rafale fighter jet requested to land on Tuesday afternoon after reporting an issue with one of its two engines while over the English Channel. "It was met by a precautionary emergency response including our own resources and external agencies, which all stood down when the aircraft landed safely without incident. The aircraft is awaiting inspection by engineers." Local social media pages were filled with comments over the arrival of the fighter jet, reports Devon Live. One resident told how the jet was "very loud", while another said how it made a "hurried landing". The plane, from the Landivisiau Naval Air Base, was involved in a joint training exercise with the British armed forces, when it was involved in a bird strike and so the pilot sought to land the plane "as quickly as possible". A spokesperson for the French military said: "On Tuesday, September 22, during a joint training exercise with the British armed forces, a Rafale Marine fighter jet from the Landivisiau Naval Air Base (BAN) was involved in a bird strike. "In such cases, the procedure dictates that the aircraft must land as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of the pilot and the aircraft. The diversion airfield (the closest at the time of the collision) identified upstream was Exeter, in the United Kingdom, and the Rafale Marine landed there a few minutes later. "The Landivisiau Naval Air Base protection team was immediately dispatched to the United Kingdom to provide 24/7 surveillance of the aircraft. A team of technicians flew to Exeter this morning to verify the aircraft's integrity before it can fly again and return to Landivisiau. The technical team's investigation is ongoing."