Bird strike through airplane engine grounds Allegiant Air flight from Sarasota to Akron

A plane struck a bird as it took off at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport Thursday morning, delaying a flight to Akron, Ohio, so technicians could check for engine damage, according to the airport president.

SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo said the bird strike happened shortly after the airplane took off at about 7 a.m. Thursday.

Bird strikes happen "a couple times a month" at the Sarasota-Bradenton airport, but rarely require the plane to return, he said. In this case, the bird went through the jet engine, although it didn't appear to have damaged the engine, Piccolo said.

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"It's standard review process for the plane to return when that happens," Piccolo said.

There were no injuries to any passengers or crew of Allegiant Air flight 2593.

Piccolo said the airport has several retention ponds that can attract birds. He said the airport uses countermeasures to keep birds from the runway.

Those measures include firing weapons with "cracker rounds," deploying gas cannons that create loud noises and making sure any grass near runway is kept short so that if birds were near they would be visible.

Piccolo said he doesn't believe the engine was damaged, and expected the plane to continue to Akron later, after a through check was completed.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota-Bradenton airport: Flight to Akron grounded after bird strike