History and mysteries · Atlantic City International Airport, Egg Harbor Township
Atlantic City: the bird strike that became an engine fire (2021)
Documented history · Source reviewed
Laboratory work traced the fire from a broken fan blade through vibration to a ruptured fuel tube.
A takeoff interrupted
On October 2, 2021, Spirit flight 3044 rejected takeoff at Atlantic City after a bird struck its right engine. The Airbus stopped on the runway, and passengers evacuated by slides. The final report records four minor evacuation injuries.
Smithsonian specialists identified the bird remains as an immature male bald eagle. The NTSB noted that the species’ average mass exceeded the large-bird weight used in this engine’s certification test; it did not establish the exact weight of this individual bird.
Following the damage
The engine casing contained the fractured fan blade, but the resulting loads broke mounting bolts. A loosened assembly moved under severe vibration, repeatedly flexing a fuel tube until it cracked. Fuel sprayed onto hot engine surfaces and ignited.
The board attributed the tube’s damage to movement following the bird strike, rather than a manufacturing defect. The case shows why containing blade fragments and preventing every secondary engine failure are distinct engineering problems.
Sources and research limits
NTSB final report ENG22LA002, analysis and factual history. Original laboratory specimens were not examined independently.