MINNEAPOLIS — An incoming jet hit a bird while landing at MSP Airport early Thursday, damaging the plane and closing a runway for several hours.
Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesperson Jeff Lea says an American Airlines flight from Miami was in the process of landing when it struck a bird shortly before 1 a.m. The plane landed safely, but damage to the front nose gear and leaking fluids left the plane unable to taxi off the runway.
Airport ground crews eventually towed the jet to a gate where passengers were able to deplane. "We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans, and we apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused," American Airlines shared in a statement.
The impacted runway at MSP was shut down while hydraulic fluids that leaked due to the bird strike were cleaned up.
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