Ranchi, June 2 : An IndiGo flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport on Monday after a mid-air collision with a vulture triggered a safety concern. All 175 passengers and crew members on board escaped unhurt, officials said.

The Airbus A320 aircraft was operating on a Patna-Ranchi-Kolkata route and was flying at an altitude of approximately 3,000 to 4,000 feet when it was hit by the bird, prompting the pilot to initiate emergency landing.

Following the bird strike, the aircraft remained airborne for nearly 40 minutes as the crew assessed the situation and prepared for an emergency landing.

The pilot displayed calm and successfully brought the aircraft down safely at Ranchi airport around 2 p.m. on Monday

Panic gripped passengers on board following the impact, but the crew reassured them that the situation was under control and the flight was heading for a precautionary landing.

Passengers heaved a sigh of relief once the aircraft touched down safely.

Airport officials confirmed that no injuries were reported and credited the pilot for the safe landing.

'The pilot acted swiftly and professionally under pressure. All passengers are safe. Our engineering team is currently inspecting the aircraft to assess the extent of the damage,' an airport official said.

The aircraft will be cleared for further operations only after a thorough safety check and approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

This is not the first instance of bird strikes causing flight disruptions at Ranchi Airport. On May 8, an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi (IX 116) encountered a technical snag after a pigeon got stuck in its wing.

During post-landing inspection, one dead and one live pigeon were found lodged in the aircraft's blades. That flight was subsequently cancelled due to technical issues.

/IANS