Plane diverts after multiple bird strikes damage engine

FOR birds of a feather who flock together there is no safety in numbers, and eight lapwings at Knock Airport hit by a departing aircraft did not live to tell the tale.

The outcome for passengers was, fortunately, less bleak when their Boeing 737 flew into the flock of lapwings, suffering damage to its engine blades.

The bmibaby flight, with five crew and 127 passengers on board, was departing for Manchester on the afternoon of October 19, 2009, when it sustained multiple bird strikes.