A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Denver was forced to return to its departure point on Saturday after a bird strike.
United Airlines Flight 1003 was en route to Denver International Airport when a bird strike was reported, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced. The Boeing 737 returned safely to San Francisco International Airport around 6 am
The FAA is investigating the incident.
United Airlines flight.
Gary Hershorn/Getty
A United spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE that Flight 1003 returned to San Francisco after the bird strike. The flight changed aircraft and continued to its destination, the airline said.
This was the latest incident involving a United Airlines flight in recent weeks. On March 16, a United flight from San Francisco to Oregon safely landed without a panel. On March 8, a United flight from San Francisco to Mexico was diverted to Los Angeles due to hydraulic problems.
In response, United CEO Scott Kirby issued a statement to customers on March 18, writing that safety is “our highest priority and at the heart of everything we do.”
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“Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, our airline has experienced a number of incidents that are reminders of the importance of safety,” Kirby continued. “Although they are not all connected, I want you to know that these incidents have drawn our attention and sharpened our focus.”
United “reviews the details of each case to understand what happened and uses those insights to inform our safety training and procedures for all groups of employees,” Kirby continued. “This is in addition to some changes already planned, including an extra day of in-person training for all pilots starting in May and a centralized training plan and program for our new maintenance technicians. We are also devoting more resources to managing the supplier network.”
On Friday, United Airlines’ vice president of corporate security, Sasha Johnson, said the FAA is stepping up oversight of the airline following recent incidents, the Associated Press reported.
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United Airlines flights. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images 50 injured after flight experience ‘hard’ mid-air crash: ‘People were flying’
“Over the next several weeks, we will begin to see an increased FAA presence in our operations as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities,” Johnson wrote in a memo to employees. “We welcome their engagement and are very open to hearing from them what they’ve discovered and their perspective on things we might need to change to make us even safer.”
In its statement, the FAA said it “routinely oversees all aspects of an airline’s operations,” adding that its oversight “focuses on an airline’s compliance with applicable regulations; the ability to identify hazards, assess and mitigate risks; and effectively manage safety,” according to the AP. .
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On Monday, Boeing announced that its chief executive, Dave Calhoun, will step down at the end of 2024, following incidents involving the company’s planes. In January, the door of a Boeing 737-9 exploded mid-air during an Alaska Airlines flight to Ontario, California.
“President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun today announced his decision to step down as CEO at the end of 2024 and will continue to lead Boeing throughout the year to complete the key work in progress to stabilize and position the company for the future,” the manufacturer said. it is stated in the press release.
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