United flight makes safe emergency landing at SFO after bird strike

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KGO) -- United Airlines Flight 1 from San Francisco to Singapore turned around about an hour and a half into the flight and came back to San Francisco because it hit a flock of birds.

The pilot told the passengers they were hit by about 25 birds and that some got into the engine. He said they were going to have to turn around and that he was going to off load their fuel just in case they crashed.

"About an hour and a half out, we heard an announcement, the pilot said, we had to come back. He said had we felt anything. Nobody beside me did and neither did I, but apparently a flock of birds had hit the nose of the plane. They had mentioned that the engines could be involved, one or both, so everyone was calm. We turned around and we dumped about 100,000 pounds of fuel into the Pacific Ocean and headed back to San Francisco," said passenger Andrew Bulloch.

Passengers said it wasn't tense on board.

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"To be perfectly honest, it wasn't... the mood on the flight was not of an emergency flight. So, it was handled pretty well," said passenger Alex Sandoval.

The passengers are still at the airport with some trying to sleep at the gate. ABC7 News have heard from one tired passenger who really wishes United had put them up in hotel rooms so they could get some sleep.

Those on board said they are now leaving after 8:00 a.m.

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