Pittsburgh flight returns to LaGuardia after bird strike

NEW YORK – A Pittsburgh-bound flight has safely returned to New York’s LaGuardia Airport after a bird strike.

American Airlines Flight 2107 returned at around 8:30 a.m. Monday. No injuries were reported.

The airline said it was rebooking 98 passengers and evaluating the plane. It apologized for the delay.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokeswoman Cheryl Albiez says the pilot did not declare an emergency but asked to return to the airport for an inspection.

Albiez says the Smithsonian Institution will examine forensic samples to determine what kind of bird was involved. The information helps Port Authority experts who study migration patterns and methods for keeping birds out of the way of planes.