US plane hits sign during takeoff, makes emergency landing

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A plane clipped a sign during its takeoff at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, causing fright to some of its passengers.

The American Airlines Flight 300 to Los Angeles International Airport in California struck the sign along the runway as it was taking off around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, the Port Authority said, as per NBC New York on April 11.

The plane, which had 101 passengers and eight crew members on board, had to circle back to the gate. No injuries were reported.

Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman shared that the pilot declared an emergency and returned to the airport, as per PEOPLE on April 11.

“Once airborne, [the] pilot declared an emergency and returned to the airport, landing safely at around 9:09 p.m.,” Coleman was quoted as saying.

The airline has since apologized for the inconvenience the incident caused. They have also rebooked their passengers for a different flight.

“Our team is currently reviewing the incident and inspecting the aircraft,” the airline said in the report. “We never want to disrupt our [customers’] travel plans and we are sorry for the inconvenience.”

The incident is being investigated by American Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration.  Cody Cepeda /ra

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