<p>LOS ANGELES — An Allegiant airliner returned safely to Los Angeles International Airport after the crew reported striking a bird Thursday morning, authorities said.</p>
<p>Allegiant Air Flight 314, an Airbus A319 that was headed to Utah, landed without incident at 7:44 a.m., said Ian Gregor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.</p>
<p>The jet experienced a bird strike to its No. 2 engine shortly after takeoff and returned to the airport for an inspection and an assessment, Allegiant spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said in an email.</p>
<p>“The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate under its own power, where passengers deplaned normally,” she said.</p>
<p>Grey said she did not immediately have further information about damage to the aircraft.</p>
<p>A replacement jet was dispatched to take the passengers to Provo, Utah.</p>
<p>The hazards of aircraft bird strikes were demonstrated by the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009 after geese were ingested in both engines.</p>
<p>Since then, according to an <a href="https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=14393">FAA fact sheet</a>, bird strike reporting increased to an average of more than 15,000 a year from 2015 through 2019. Less than 5% of strikes are damaging.</p>
