Bird Hit Chinese Naval J-15 Fighter Catches Fire, Lands Safely

A Chinese navy pilot successfully landed a J-15 fighter jet which caught fire following a bird hit.

The J-15 fighter’s left engine caught fire after the aircraft crashed into a flock of birds immediately after it took off. The pilot Yuan Wei co-ordinated with air traffic controllers and was able to land the aircraft safely, China Central Television (CCTV) reported Friday.

The Shenyang J-15, nicknamed the Flying Shark is a carrierborne air superiority fighter jet which looks remarkably similar to the Russian Su-33 carrier-borne jet which was used in the Russian action in Syria.

Its development was marked by a controversy with Russia claiming that the Chinese have violated intellectual property agreements by creating their own version of the Russian Jet. 

Three incidents of the carrier-based aircraft have been reported since 2016.