Scenes show plane colliding with flock of birds, including engine ingestion

A C-37 plane (military version of the Gulfstream V) belonging to the United States Government, which was carrying the highest-ranking member of the National Guard, was forced to land shortly after takeoff after colliding with a flock of birds, the so-called incident of “Bird Strike”.

The aircraft was carrying General Daniel Hokanson, head of the National Guard Service and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, when it slammed into the group of birds shortly after 5 pm on Monday, Nov. 21, CNN reported.

A video that broadcast the movement live at the airport captured the moment when the jet left the runway and, seconds later, crossed the animals, with the collision and ingestion by the left engine:

As seen in the recording above, the plane, which had taken off from Midway International Airport in Chicago, was still with the landing gear being retracted when the incident occurred.

The C-37, reserved for senior government and Department of Defense officials, returned safely to the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed, as also seen in the images above.