Tel Aviv-bound flight from Georgia aborts takeoff after bird strike — report
Footage shows flashes of light around wing area of plane after impact; passengers reportedly waited in terminal until technicians deemed damage not significant
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleMichael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
A plane flying from Georgia to Israel was struck by birds, forcing pilots to abort its takeoff, Hebrew media reported on Thursday.
A passenger on Flight LY5104 from Batumi to Tel Aviv on Thursday recorded flashes of light coming from around the wing as the plane was speeding down the tarmac following the impact, Channel 12 news reported.
“The wheel is gone,” an Israeli passenger is heard saying in footage posted on social media.
The incident occurred on a Sundor route, a subsidiary of national carrier El Al, while the flight was operated by a Lithuanian company, KlasJet.
Passengers disembarked the plane and waited inside the airport while technicians inspected the plane.
They determined the damage was not significant, and passengers took off a short while later, landing safely in Israel.
תיעוד הבזקי האש בעת המראת המטוס מגאורגיה לישראל – מה שגרם לשוקי סלומון ואיציק אוחנה לעלות לטיסה חלופית. שאר הנוסעים עדיין תקועים בשדה שם. pic.twitter.com/wdpjPaBirE
— הפרגוד (@moshepargod) November 13, 2025
It is unclear from the reports what the source of the flashing in the video was.
The Times of Israel Community.