Passengers React To Bird Strike

Passengers aboard Delta Flight 5221 are glad to be on the ground.

Shortly after take-off Thursday night, the plane struck at least two birds damaging the plane's nose and right wing.

"We obviously hit a flock of geese," said Greg Breedlove, a passenger on the flight. "The first thing we thought about was the plane going in the Hudson River," said Steve Azevedo, who was also on board.

Unlike the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson last month, this plane never lost engine power. The captain of 5221 managed to circle several times over Rome, Georgia burning fuel before he returned back to Atlanta, according to passengers.

"I didn't really appreciate what had happened until I saw the dent later," said Breedlove, who tells News Five the dent was the size of a football helmet. "It made me appreciate the professionalism of the pilot getting the plane down quickly."

Delta gave passengers hotel vouchers to stay in Atlanta Thursday night. The passengers were then booked on other flights to Mobile on Friday. The first wave of passengers began arriving at Mobile Regional Airport at 9:30 Friday morning.

The plane was a 50 seater CRJ 100, according to ASA Spokesperson Allison Baker.