Writing a News Story: The Inverted Pyramid

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An eagle was sucked into an Alaska Airlines jet's engine as the aircraft was taking off from a small southeast Alaska town Sunday, causing the flight to be aborted.

Seattle-bound Flight 68 was approaching takeoff speed when the eagle was ingested into the left engine shortly after 10 a.m. in Sitka, airline spokesman Paul McElroy said.

None of the 134 passengers or five crew members was hurt. The bird collision automatically shut off the plane's engine.

Eagle strike in jet's engine halts Alaska flight

Eagle, sucked into a jet engine, small Alaskan town, Sunday, flight was aborted.

Seattle-bound flight 68, take-off speed,10 a.m. in Sitka

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An eagle was sucked into an Alaska Airlines jet's engine as the aircraft was taking off from a small southeast Alaska town Sunday, causing the flight to be aborted.

Seattle-bound Flight 68 was approaching takeoff speed when the eagle was ingested into the left engine shortly after 10 a.m. in Sitka, airline spokesman Paul McElroy said.

None of the 134 passengers or five crew members was hurt. The bird collision automatically shut off the plane's engine.

Eagle strike in jet's engine halts Alaska flight

Eagle, sucked into a jet engine, small Alaskan town, Sunday, flight was aborted.

Seattle-bound flight 68, take-off speed,10 a.m. in Sitka

134 passengers, 5 crew members, no one was hurt. Engine shut off automatically

McElroy said the jet braked to a stop about 3,000 feet from the end of the 6,500-foot runway, which ends at the water's edge. The plane then taxied back to the terminal with its single working engine.

The airline was sending a replacement plane from Anchorage to continue the flight later Sunday. Meanwhile, aircraft mechanics were inspecting the sidelined Boeing 737-400 for damage.

McElroy said he didn't know how often such bird strikes occurred.

"It's certainly not unheard of but it is unusual," he said.

Eagle, sucked into a jet engine, small Alaskan town, Sunday, flight was aborted.

Seattle-bound flight 68, take-off speed,10 a.m. in Sitka

134 passengers, 5 crew members, no one was hurt. Engine shut off automatically

Stopped 3,000 feet from the end of the runway. Taxied back to terminal

McElroy said the jet braked to a stop about 3,000 feet from the end of the 6,500-foot runway, which ends at the water's edge. The plane then taxied back to the terminal with its single working engine.

The airline was sending a replacement plane from Anchorage to continue the flight later Sunday. Meanwhile, aircraft mechanics were inspecting the sidelined Boeing 737-400 for damage.

McElroy said he didn't know how often such bird strikes occurred.

"It's certainly not unheard of but it is unusual," he said.

Eagle, sucked into a jet engine, small Alaskan town, Sunday, flight was aborted.

Seattle-bound flight 68, take-off speed,10 a.m. in Sitka

134 passengers, 5 crew members, no one was hurt. Engine shut off automatically

Stopped 3,000 feet from the end of the runway. Taxied back to terminal

Replacement plane, mechanics inspecting Boeing 747, spokesman McElroy doesn’t know how often this occurs, unusual