Sept. 21: An IndiGo Calcutta-Bangkok flight with 169 passengers and crew returned to the city within an hour of take-off this morning as the pilot suspected a bird-hit.

Flight 6E 0075 took off at 10.58am and the suspected hit occurred a minute later, airport director Atul Dixit said.

The pilot of the Airbus A320 alerted the air traffic control after suspecting a bird had hit the aircraft, an airport official said.

A dead bird was found between taxiways B and C during an inspection of the runway, the official said. "The bird probably didn't hit the aircraft... it was burnt by the thrust of the engine."

When the ATC told the pilot about the dead bird, he said he would return. The plane touched down at 11.59am, he said.

The passengers were put on another aircraft, originally scheduled for Delhi, that took off at 1.50pm, another airport official said.

Chef Shaun Kenworthy, who was on the flight, said 30 minutes after take-off, the pilot announced returning to Calcutta because of a bird-hit. "We were put on another plane."

Kenworthy said he had been stranded at Mumbai airport yesterday because heavy rain had led to cancellations and delays. He had a 7.40pm SpiceJet flight to Calcutta.

"We eventually took off almost three hours later. We were home by 2am and out by 7.30am today," he said.

When no damage was found during inspection, the IndiGo flight was rescheduled to Delhi, an airport official said.

The risk of bird-hits increases during the monsoon, the official said. "Insects come out on the ground when it rains... and birds are attracted to insects," he said.

On January 15, 2009, a US Airways (now American Airlines) flight from New York's LaGuardia airport was hit by a flock of birds three minutes after take-off and lost all engine power.

Pilot Chesley Sullenberger glided (ditching in aviation parlance) the aircraft, an Airbus A320, into the Hudson river without any loss of life.

There were 155 people, including the crew, on board.

Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, a 2016 film starring Tom Hanks, told the story of Sullenberger who had saved every life on board.

HC gets six judges

Six Calcutta High Court lawyers were today sworn in as the court's judges.

Acting Chief Justice Rakesh Tiwari administered the oath of office to Protik Prakash Banerjee, Rajarshi Bharadwaj, Shekhar B. Saraf, Moushumi Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Rajasekhar Mantha at a brief function on the court premises. The six judges take the strength to 36, half of the sanctioned number.

Fire

Some electrical wires on the ground floor of a three-storey building near the Mudiali puja pandal caught fire last night. Police said a short circuit probably triggered the fire that was doused in 15 minutes.