Thiruvananthapuram: A bald eagle hit the left engine of an Indigo aircraft during take-off at 7.30 am here on Monday.

Indigo Flight 6E 6629, en route from Thiruvananthapuram to Bangalore, was speeding down the runway when the bird struck its left engine. "The pilot and co-pilot applied the brakes suddenly, causing all the passengers to jerk forward. Immediately afterwards, the pilot and crew informed us about the incident," said Colonel (Rtd) Gopalakrishnan, a passenger aboard the flight.

"The airport staff and flight crew made sure that we were safely off-boarded. They made provisions to rebook flights. The presence of mind of the pilot averted what could have been a potentially disastrous situation," he said.

The plane was then taxied back safely to the maintenance area at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport, where the crew began inspecting the engine, suspected to have sustained damage from the bird strike.

Indigo Airlines has yet to provide an official update on the situation.