The two-month-old Iberia Airbus A321‑253NY XLR (EC‑OOJ) was climbing out of Madrid on 3 August 2025 when it encountered a bird strike shortly after departure. The impact smashed the aircraft’s radome, which houses the weather‑radar system. Because the radome helps pilots detect storms and turbulence, any damage to it requires the crew to land as soon as practical. Witnesses and passengers posting on social media also reported that the left engine was lost during the strike. At the same time, the twin-engine A321 can continue flying on one engine, Iberia’s pilots opted to return to Madrid as a precaution. Flight IB579 landed safely about 20 minutes after take‑off. Bird strikes typically occur at low altitudes, and damage may not be visible until maintenance crews inspect the aircraft, so pilots generally return to the departure airport when a strike affects critical components.
Sources: Aviacionline, Republic World, Airlive
Images: FL360aero, Flightradar24, Jetphotos
