American Airlines Plane Hit Sign During Takeoff, Forced to Turn Around and Make Emergency Landing

American Airlines Flight 300 had to make an emergency landing and return to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport Wednesday night after reportedly hitting a sign during takeoff.

Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman told PEOPLE that at 8:40 p.m. the AA Flight 300 from New York to Los Angeles was departing “when the plane apparently struck a sign located adjacent to the runway.”

According to CNN, the sign is meant to guide pilots as they drive the runway and takeoff, but on Wednesday night the plane was slightly off center during takeoff, causing it to hit the sign with its right wing.

“Once airborne, pilot declared an emergency and returned to the airport, landing safely at around 9:09 p.m.,” Coleman told PEOPLE.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, American Airlines said there were 102 passengers and eight crew members on board, and no injuries were reported. The airline is currently investigating the incident, along with the Federal Aviation Admininstration.

“Our team is currently reviewing the incident and inspecting the aircraft,” the airline told PEOPLE. “We never want to disrupt our customers’s travel plans and we are sorry for the inconvenience.”

According to AA, all customers aboard the plane were rebooked for a different flight.

 

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