On Jan 28th, 2026, an Amazon Prime Air Airbus A330-300, registration N5827K, operating flight AS-2616 from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (Covington, KY) to Houston Intercontinental, TX, was forced into an immediate emergency return shortly after departure following a severe bird strike.
The freighter, carrying two crew members, had just departed runway 27 when the left-hand engine (Rolls-Royce Trent 772) ingested multiple birds. The crew halted the climb at 3,000 feet, donned their oxygen masks after reporting smoke in the cockpit, and initiated a return to Cincinnati. The aircraft landed safely on runway 36R approximately 10 minutes after takeoff.
After touchdown, the situation escalated further when the crew advised ground services that they required a ladder to the 1R door, reporting a fire indication on the left-hand engine and requesting that engine number one be checked for fire.
The FAA confirmed the seriousness of the event, stating:
“AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD ON TAKEOFF RESULTING IN A LEFT ENGINE FIRE AND RETURNED TO AIRPORT, COVINGTON, KY.”
On Feb 6th, 2026, the NTSB classified the occurrence as an accident and opened a formal investigation. According to the NTSB, the aircraft was struck by multiple birds immediately after takeoff, leading to ECAM warnings, a subsequent engine failure, and substantial damage to the aircraft.
As of the latest update, the Airbus A330 remains grounded in Cincinnati about 23 hours after landing, with inspections and damage assessments ongoing.
The incident highlights the serious threat posed by bird strikes during the most critical phase of flight, and how quickly a routine cargo departure can turn into a high-risk emergency requiring swift and disciplined crew response.
