MALAYSIA AIRLINES PLANE WITH 180 PASSENGERS HITS DUCKS AT TIA, ALL PASSENGERS SAFE

Malaysia Airlines hits ducks at TIA, all passengers safe

KATHMANDU, March 23: A Malaysia Airlines plane with 180 passengers on board ran into a flock of ducks subsequently as it landed at Tribhuvan International Airport, shattering its two right windshields, the New York Times said in a report on Saturday. Officials at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAN) said no one was injured in the incident which took place late Friday night ."No one was injured on the plane, a Boeing 738. But it was taken out of service for several hours while mechanics replaced the cockpit glass," the report says. CAAN officials said that at least 10 ducks were killed in the collision. Collisions between birds and aircraft, or bird strikes, have become a serious problem at Nepal’s sole international airport, with more than 75 reported since 1990, the report adds.  Previously, two other planes were badly damaged because of bird strikes.Officials said the ducks probably came from Taudaha, a local bird-watching site.