Overview

• Flight IB579 hit a large bird shortly after takeoff, shattering its nose radome and damaging fan blades in the left engine during climb.
• Pilots declared an emergency and executed a priority landing on runway 32L at Madrid-Barajas with fire and rescue teams on standby.
• There were no injuries, though passengers reported cabin smoke and used oxygen masks before disembarking and boarding a replacement flight to Paris-Orly that evening.
• Iberia has grounded the aircraft (registration EC-OOJ) for comprehensive technical assessment and repair under established aviation safety protocols.
• The incident underscores the ongoing threat wildlife poses to even state-of-the-art long-range narrowbodies and the need for robust airport bird-management measures.