Liverpool easyJet flight forced to make U-turn after unexpected encounter in the sky

An easyJet flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport had to make an abrupt u-turn and make an emergency landing at Manchester Airport after an unexpected encounter in the sky.

The flight, which took off at 7.15am on Saturday morning, was heading to Antalya in Turkey but encountered a bird strike and had to abandon the 4,000km trip, having reached as far as The Wash near East Anglia.

"We’re very sorry that your flight has now been diverted," The Mirror report easyJet told passengers. "This is due to a bird strike on your aircraft. The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance. Your crew will keep you up to date."

The plane landed safely in Manchester just before 8.30am on Saturday morning.

Bird strikes are not unusual, but only a fraction cause any significant damage. The birds can send flashes of flame from the engines if they get sucked into the huge turbines.