JetBlue Flight From Westchester Rerouted To JFK After Bird Strike

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A JetBlue flight from Westchester to Florida had to divert to John F. Kennedy International Airport Thursday morning after a bird strike.

Around 8 a.m., Flight 1205 from White Planes to Fort Myers was hit by birds shortly after takeoff and had to be rerouted to JFK, where it landed safely, the airline said.

The passengers were transferred to another plane and they're expected to arrive in Fort Myers later Thursday afternoon.

The two birds that hit the JetBlue plane were starlings, CBS 2 reported.

Earlier this year, two JetBlue flights departing JFK were forced to turn back following bird strikes. No injuries were reported in
either incident.

Goose eradication was authorized in New York City after birds were sucked into both engines of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 out of LaGuardia in 2009.

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed the plane in the Hudson River.

Nearly 1,700 Canada geese were rounded up and killed in New York City in 2010, but animal rights groups say the method isn't working to prevent bird strikes.

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