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Engine failure in plane with Saudi football team caused by bird strike - air carrier

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation twitted earlier that all the Saudi national team players were safe

ROSTOV-ON-DON, June 19. /TASS/. The engine trouble onboard a plane that took the Saudi national football team to Russia’s southern city of Rostov-on-Don most likely was caused by a bird strike. The plane landed safely, no one was hurt, the press service of the Rossiya air carrier, the plane’s operator, told TASS on Monday.

A video posted on social networks features flames under the flying plane’s wing. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation twitted earlier that all the Saudi national team players were safe.

"An engine failure occurred when flight FV1007 from St. Petersburg was about to land in Rostov-on-Don. According to preliminary data, the failure was caused by a bird strike. The plane landed with two engines on. The aircraft is currently being examined. Flight safety was not jeopardized," the press service said.

"Reports about an alleged fire in the engine are not true," it stressed.

The Saudi team has arrived in Rostov-on-Don to play a World Cup Group A match vs Uruguay on June 20.

The team is accommodated in St. Petersburg and hold training sessions in-between World Cup matches at the Zenit FC facilities.