“We thought it was just turbulence like the captain had mentioned, but then we started hearing a strange noise and realised something was wrong,” said passenger Giancarlo Sandoval in an interview with ABC News.
Another video circulating on social media showed significant damage to the aircraft’s nose, with nearly half of it torn off. Sandoval documented the tense moments as smoke filled the cabin and passengers quickly donned oxygen masks. A baby’s cries could be heard in the background as others sat in stunned silence.
Passengers in all out PANIC after a bird SMASHES into the nose of a plane headed for Paris
Cabin FILLED with smoke, forcing people into GASMASKSThe Airbus was forced to turn around after just 20 minutes in the air pic.twitter.com/j1EH2hfLKE— RT (@RT_com) August 6, 2025
The flight, operated by Iberia, returned to Madrid safely after being airborne for about 20 minutes. The airline later issued a statement assuring that all passengers and crew were safe.
“The entire flight crew, including pilots and cabin crew, acted with the utmost professionalism in managing the situation and attending to passengers,” Iberia said.
ABC News contributor Col. Steve Ganyard, USMC (Ret.), explained that while bird strikes are common, serious incidents are rare. “Fewer than 10% of bird strikes cause any damage. In this case, however, the impact was severe enough to damage one of the engines and cause smoke to enter the cabin,” he said.
The situation stabilized after the emergency landing, with relieved passengers applauding upon touchdown.
First Published: Aug 6, 2025 4:48 PM IS
