Spanish flag carrier Iberia (also known as Iberia Airlines) Flight IB579, an Airbus A321XLR, was en route from Madrid to Paris, France, on the 3rd when it reportedly suffered a bird strike and was forced to make an emergency return to its departure airport. Photos released afterwards have amazed foreign netizens.
According to aviation media outlet Aviacionline, Flight IB579 departed that day from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport when, just a few minutes after takeoff, it was struck by a bird, causing damage to the aircraft’s nose and one engine.
It was reported that a bird first hit the fairing of the Airbus A321, and was then ingested into the left engine. The pilots immediately decided to discontinue their ascent, declared an emergency to air traffic control, and returned to Madrid. About 20 minutes after takeoff, the plane landed back at the original airport, with all passengers and crew members safe and unharmed.
Photos circulating widely online show that the left nose cone of the Airbus had been breached, exposing internal structures; the fan blades of the left engine were also visibly damaged, illustrating the severity of the impact.