Amazon Prime Air Airbus A330 Emergency Landing in Cincinnati After Bird Strike Triggers Engine Fire

NATI – Aviation safety investigators are analysing the remnants of a dramatic mid-air emergency after an Amazon Prime Air freighter was forced into a harrowing return to Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) on Wednesday, 28th of January, 2026. The incident, involving a widebody Airbus A330-300, underscores the persistent threat of bird strikes in high-density cargo hubs.

The flight, operating as AS-2616 and utilising an air carrier partner, was bound for Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). What was scheduled as a routine three-hour haul turned into a life-threatening eight-minute race against time for the two-person crew.

Eight Minutes of Crisis

According to flight telemetry from FlightAware, the aircraft (registered as N5827K) departed CVG at 3:05 p.m. local time. The ascent was normal until the aircraft reached approximately 3,000 feet, at which point the crew reported a massive bird ingestion into the No. 1 (left) engine.

Moments after the initial strike, the situation escalated from a power loss to a critical fire and smoke event. Air traffic control (ATC) recordings capture the calm yet urgent professional response from the cockpit:

“Left engine, we took a bird intake, we just want to come back and land,” a pilot told ATC.

However, seconds later, the report grew more dire:

“Alaska 2616 heavy, we have smoke in the cockpit.”

The controller immediately cleared the airspace, guiding the heavy jet through a tight left-hand turn to align with the runway. The aircraft touched down safely at 3:13 p.m., where it was met by a massive deployment of Crash Fire Rescue (CFR) units.

Emergency Response and Crew Safety

Upon landing, the pilots elected to stop the aircraft on the runway rather than taxiing, fearing the structural integrity of the damaged engine. Fearing the spread of fire or toxic fumes, the crew requested an immediate extraction via ladder to avoid the risk of a slide evacuation for only two personnel.

“Can we get a ladder up to our, either door, one left or one right door? The fire was on the left side… so the right side would be better,” the pilot requested from the CFR Command.

CFR teams confirmed that while an active fire had been visible during the approach, the onboard fire suppression systems and the engine's shutdown had successfully contained the flames by the time the aircraft came to a halt. The aircraft was subsequently towed to Amazon’s massive Global Air Hub at CVG for further inspection.

Official Statements and Investigation

An FAA spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that no injuries were reported among the crew or ground personnel. In an official statement released yesterday, an Amazon representative addressed the impact on operations:

“Thankfully, no one was hurt and the crew is safe. The aircraft returned to the airport as a precaution, and impact to our customers is expected to be minimal.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened a preliminary file on the incident. Investigators will focus on the engine’s bird-ingestion certification limits and why smoke penetrated the cockpit so rapidly, a factor that often points to a breach in the engine’s core or a failure of the environmental control system (ECS) seals.

Current Operational Status

The aircraft, N5827K, remains grounded at the Cincinnati hub as of this morning, January 30, 2026. Maintenance teams are expected to perform a full engine swap. This incident marks the first major engine fire for Amazon's relatively young A330-300P2F fleet, which has been a cornerstone of its long-haul domestic expansion.