MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA — American Airlines Flight 1760 made an emergency landing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday after reporting a bird strike. The pilot declared, "Mayday, mayday, mayday. We’ve got an engine problem here," shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft was a Boeing 737 operating a flight from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte, North Carolina. There were 181 people on board the flight, consisting of 172 passengers and nine crew members. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Passenger Patrick Gotwalt recorded video showing flames coming from beneath the left wing shortly after takeoff. Beachgoer Lindsey Mackey reported hearing loud popping noises and seeing orange flashes coming from the wing. Another pilot observing the incident stated on the radio, "I saw he took up birds, it looked like, at least in the left side engine." Airport operations workers found multiple bird remains on the runway as the plane circled for landing.

American Airlines confirmed the flight returned due to a maintenance issue and stated there was no indication of a fire inside the engine itself. An American Airlines spokesperson said, "The aircraft landed safely and has been taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team." Passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue to Charlotte.

The American Airlines flight had 172 passengers onboard, who were affected when the flight returned to Myrtle Beach International Airport after a bird strike. Earlier coverage on 2026-07-28 reported: American Airlines flights resume after being halted due to an IT problem, airline says. Earlier coverage on 2026-07-28 reported: American Airlines ground stop issued nationwide after IT system outage.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s database, more than 24,000 wildlife strikes were reported in the United States in 2025. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, nearly 8,300 animal strikes had been reported so far in the current year, with birds accounting for approximately 97% of them historically. Myrtle Beach is coastal city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The Federal Aviation Administration stated it will investigate the incident.

Why It Matters

This incident shows the ongoing safety risks posed by wildlife strikes, which accounted for approximately 97% of reported animal strikes historically. With over 24,000 such events recorded in 2025 alone, the frequency of these occurrences necessitates continued vigilance and investigation by federal authorities. The safe landing of Flight 1760 demonstrates established emergency protocols functioning effectively despite visible engine distress affecting 181 people.