Plane forced to return to RDU after bird hits engine

RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL (WTVD) -- A Southwest Airlines plane flying from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Tampa, Florida Friday morning was forced to return to the airport after a bird flew into the plane's engine.

Officials at the airport said a bird flew into the engine on takeoff just before 8 a.m. The pilot of the Boeing 737-300 returned to RDU about 15 minutes later as a precaution.

Flight-2573 landed without incident.

Southwest Airlines' website says the flight has been cancelled.

Bird strikes at RDU are not unusual, more than 15 have been reported this year, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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