A plane carrying 59 people returned safely to Westchester County Airport on Sunday, Aug. 16, after striking a bird during takeoff, according to the Westchester County Police Department.

Police received a 911 call at 6:30 a.m. reporting the bird strike. The aircraft turned back and landed at the airport without incident, News 12's Molly Bruton reported.

The airport, located in Harrison, is the primary commercial airport for Bronxville, Scarsdale and Eastchester residents.

Key details remain unconfirmed

As of midday Sunday, neither the Westchester County Police Department nor the airport had confirmed the airline, the type of aircraft or whether anyone was injured. The airport told News 12 it had no information on file about the incident.

Westchester Fire Wire, a local emergency scanner account, posted on Facebook that the airport declared an Alert Level 1 for an Embraer E175 regional jet with 59 people on board at 6:29 a.m. That aircraft type has not been officially confirmed.

@914FireWire: "Westchester County Airport - Alert Level 1. 2591 urgent declaring an alert level 1 for an E175 with a reported birdstrike upon takeoff, 59 souls on board at 6:29."

County's wildlife management contract

The incident falls during peak bird strike season. According to the FAA, roughly 90 percent of bird strikes occur at or near airports during takeoff or landing, and strikes are most common from July through November when birds migrate.

Westchester County approved a three-year, $688,580 agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April for wildlife management services at the airport, running from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029. The contract is aimed at reducing bird and wildlife hazards to aircraft, according to county legislative records.

What comes next

Under federal regulations, pilots involved in a bird strike are urged to file an FAA Form 5200-7 wildlife strike report. It is not yet known whether such a report has been filed for Sunday's incident.