FedEx plane makes emergency landing with engine on fire after a bird strike

A FedEx cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing Saturday at Newark Liberty International Airport with one of its engines on fire after it struck a bird while leaving the airport. Their were no injuries, but the Boeing 767 was disabled on the runway briefly suspending airport operations. The engine fire followed recent aviation accidents including a mid-air collision in Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.

Class discussion: Do reports of an airliner colliding with a helicopter or flipping over while landing on a runway make you afraid to get on an airplane? Why or why not? Do constant reports of fatal traffic accidents make you afraid to get into an automobile? Which do you fear more aviation or traffic crashes? Why? Which is actually more dangerous – traveling on an aircraft or in a motor vehicle? Is it difficult to think rationally about potential threats?