US: FedEx Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Bird Strike Ignites Engine Fire at Newark

A FedEx airplane made an emergency landing shortly after departing from Newark Airport on Saturday morning because its right engine caught fire, according to the New York Post. The fire was caused by a bird strike, which led to immediate engine ignition, as per findings from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and FedEx.

A Boeing 767-3S2F headed back to the tarmac as flames spewed from the right engine around 8 a.m. (local time) on Saturday. Two Port Authority fire trucks approached the plane as it landed and extinguished the blaze.

Later, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it initiated an investigation into the incident, New York Post reported. According to the flight data, the plane was forced to land at 8:07 am (local time), just nine minutes after the takeoff.

Video of the emergency landing of a FedEx Boeing plane was shared by a social media user on her X handle.

A FedEx Boeing plane engine caught fire and was forced to emergency land at Newark airport. I am so sick of this shit.

pic.twitter.com/BbbUC18Lf1

— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) March 1, 2025

No one was injured in the incident. Air traffic was halted for a brief time as a precaution. However, the operations quickly resumed. According to Flight Aware, the extent of the damage was not clear. However, the aircraft was cleared to make the journey to Indiana at 9:30 am.

Speaking to New York Post, a FedEx representative said, “FedEx Flight 3609 from Newark to Indianapolis experienced a bird strike during takeoff. Our crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders.”

The incident happened amid numerous passenger airplane accidents that have sparked concerns regarding air safety in recent weeks. On February 25, a Southwest plane narrowly avoided a collision at Chicago Midway Airport when a private jet rolled across the runway, New York Post reported.

Earlier on February 24, a Delta Air Lines flight heading to South Carolina was forced to return to Atlanta when “haze” and smoke filled the cabin — the second such incident in as many days. Earlier in February, 67 people were killed when a Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with a commercial plane that was mostly filled with young competitive figure skaters and their parents.