FedEx plane seen flying while on fire near Newark Airport
A FedEx plane was seen flying while on fire Saturday morning near Newark Airport in New Jersey.
Various videos posted to social media showed flames on one wing of the aircraft, a Boeing 767-3S2F.
What they're saying:
A FedEx spokesperson told FOX Television Stations in an email that the flight experienced a bird strike during takeoff.
"Our B767 crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark after dealing with the resulting engine damage, including an engine fire. The training, expertise, and professionalism demonstrated by our FedEx pilots was exemplary. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders," the statement read, in part.
No injuries were reported. The flight had been headed to Indianapolis.
Credit: Sofiane Zeblah via Storyful
Big picture view:
Aviation accidents and close calls that have made headlines in recent weeks have some people worried about the safety of flying.
The midair collision that killed 67 near Washington D.C. in January was the worst disaster.
But there was also the plane that crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto, the fiery plane crash in Philadelphia and a plane crash in Alaska that killed 10, as well as two small planes that collided in Arizona.
Those all came before the scary moment this week in Chicago when a Southwest Airlines plane had to abort its landing to avoid crashing into another plane crossing the runway.
RELATED: Shocking audio reveals moments before Southwest Plane nearly collides with jet at Midway
Dig deeper:
President Donald Trump added to those concerns when, in January, he blamed the midair collision over Washington D.C. on the "obsolete" air traffic control system that airports rely on and promised to replace it.
RELATED: Trump blasts DEI in wake of DC plane crash
The other side:
The track record of U.S. airlines is remarkably safe. Fatal crashes attract extraordinary attention partly because they are rare.
By the numbers:
The National Safety Council estimates that Americans have a 1-in-93 chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash, while deaths on airplanes are too rare to calculate the odds. Figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation tell a similar story.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from a FedEx statement emailed to FOX Television Stations, and from social media video obtained by Storyful, a licensing agency. Background information on recent aviation disasters and accidents was taken from previous FOX Television Station reportings and from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.