The return flight by KE1203 came 38 minutes after the plane took off at 7:34 a.m. Thursday from Gimpo Airport in western Seoul. Korean Air said the pilot made a quick and accurate decision to fly back when a bird was sucked into the engine soon after its takeoff.
A bird strike is a collision between an airborne animal and a manmade vehicle, especially an aircraft. Bird strikes are a significant threat to flight safety and have caused a number of accidents with human casualties. Most accidents occur when a bird collides with the windscreen or is sucked into the engines of aircraft.