A departure from Shanghai quickly turned into a high-stakes return when a widebody jet suffered multiple bird strikes severe enough to rip off its nose section covering.
On Mar 21st 2026, a China Southern Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration B-1062, operating flight CZ-3554 from Shanghai to Shenzhen, was climbing out of Shanghai Hongqiao Airport when the incident occurred.
Shortly after departure from runway 18R, at an altitude of about 1,400 meters (approximately 4,600 feet), the aircraft encountered a series of bird strikes. The impact caused significant damage, including the complete separation of the radome—the protective nose cone that houses the aircraft’s weather radar.
Faced with the damage, the crew immediately halted the climb and initiated a return to the departure airport. The aircraft remained fully controllable, and the pilots coordinated a safe approach back to Shanghai.
Roughly 20 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft landed safely on runway 18L without further incident. There were no reports of injuries among passengers or crew.
The airline later confirmed the aircraft had sustained a bird strike. The aircraft remained on the ground for inspections and repairs for at least 7.5 hours following the return.
To minimize disruption, a replacement Boeing 777-300, registration B-20AC, was dispatched to complete the journey to Shenzhen, arriving with a delay of about four hours.
While bird strikes are a known hazard in aviation, damage severe enough to detach a radome is rare. The safe outcome in this case highlights the resilience of modern aircraft design and the crew’s swift response in handling a potentially serious situation immediately after takeoff.
