Air China C909 hits bird as Chinese jets face growing ‘real-world’ tests
Wildlife strike in Beijing caught on video near popular vantage point, illustrating how rising flight volumes expose Comac’s fleet of jets to more operational risks
A suspected bird strike on a Chinese-made C909 regional jet in Beijing has reportedly left some marks on its nose and airframe, but experts said the likelihood of any severe damage was very low.
The incident underscores the real-world tests of reliability facing the model as it is more widely deployed at home and abroad, according to observers.
Air China flight CA1150, arriving from Ordos in Inner Mongolia, struck a large bird as it approached Beijing Capital International Airport on Sunday evening. The incident, which occurred near a popular planespotting vantage point, was caught on camera.
The jet continued its descent and landed safely at the busy hub. Social media posts purportedly from passengers indicated a short delay before they were allowed to disembark the aircraft, and there were mentions of “scars” on its airframe.
The C909, bearing registration number B-652Z, was delivered to the Chinese flag carrier by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) in September 2022. It had reportedly been pulled from service since Sunday for inspections, and flight-tracking platforms have shown no subsequent operations.
This was not the first such incident involving a Comac jet. In October 2024, a newly delivered C919 narrowbody struck a bird while landing at Xian in northwestern China. That jet was cleared to resume operations within two days, following careful checks.