An Alaska Airlines flight on Christmas Eve from Anchorage to Fairbanks was forced to turn around after an eagle hit the plane. Alaska Airlines Flight 2041 had taken off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 11:40 a.m. Dec. 24, but turned around and returned about 30 minutes later, according to FlightAware data. When the plane landed back in Anchorage, she said passengers learned that a bird strike involving an eagle was behind the sudden return. “The eagle survived at that time,” Tatela told the station. An Alaska Airlines spokesperson told the station that no emergency was declared and that the captain and first officer are trained for situations like a bird strike.

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Persons: Ted Stevens, Michelle Tatela, “, ” Tatela, Laura Atwood, KTUU, “ We’re, Joo Jong, Joo Organizations: Alaska Airlines, International, NBC, Learning Center, Fairbanks . An Alaska Airlines, NBC News, Jeju Air, South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Muan International, National Transportation Safety, American, Boeing, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Korean, Chicago, ”, Fairbanks . An, South Korea, Seoul, Korea