Leh-bound SpiceJet plane suffers bird hit; returns to Delhi

A Leh-bound SpiceJet aircraft suffered a bird hit on Sunday morning and returned to the national capital, according to the airline.

The plane landed back safely and the passengers were deplaned normally.

A source said the Boeing 737 plane had around 135 people onboard.

In a statement, SpiceJet said the aircraft operating SG 123 from Delhi to Leh returned to the national capital after suffering a bird hit on engine 2.

"The aircraft landed back safely in Delhi and passengers were deplaned normally," it said.

The airline also said the aircraft made a normal landing and not an emergency landing.

Earlier, the source said that a full emergency was declared at the airport and the aircraft, which took off at around 1030 hours, landed safely at about 11 am. The plane returned due to engine vibrations, the source added.