Horizon Air flight forced to return to airport after hitting eagle

A Horizon Air flight had to turn around and land after an eagle struck the plane. Around noon on December 24, Horizon Air flight 2041 took off from Anchorage, Alaska on its way to Fairbanks. Shortly afterward, a bird struck the plane, forcing the crew to turn around and land back in Anchorage, a spokesperson for the airline said. Once they landed, the airline swapped out the plane and the passengers continued safely on to Fairbanks. “The captain and first officer are trained for these situations and landed the aircraft safely without any issue,” a spokesperson for the airline told The Independent in a statement. “No emergency was declared.” “The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and has since returned to service,” the spokesperson added. Horizon Air is owned by Alaska Air Group, which also owns Alaska Airlines.<br/>