[SOT/:JEREMY NEILSON/OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR, WESTCHESTER AIRPORT][Notes:DATE/LOCATION: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK/APRIL 25][Notes:SOURCE: WABC-TV]THIS EVENING WE HAD AN EMBRAER 190, A JETBLUE AIRPLANE DEPART, THEY WERE DESTINED FOR, I THINK IT WAS WEST PALM BEACH. ON THEIR DEPARTURE FROM THE RUNWAY THEY STRUCK I THINK IT WAS TWO GEESE, THAT STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD, SO THEY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY LANDING, RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE REPORT I GOT WAS THAT THE BIRDS WERE FLYING ACROSS THE RUNWAY AT THE TIME, I THINK THE PILOT SAID UNDER 500 FEET, THEY STRUCK THE BIRDS, SO IT WAS RIGHT WHEN THEY DEPARTED, WITHIN SECONDS OF LEAVING THE RUNWAY, SO BASICALLY DISTORTED THEIR VISIBILITY. THE MECHANICS ARE LOOKING AT THE PLANE, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT REALLY SURE IF THERE'S ANY DAMAGE BESIDES THAT, BUT PRIMARILY WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IS DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD.MORE THAN LIKELY, CLEANUP, JUST LOOKING AT THE COMPONENTS, MAKING SURE THAT AIRCRAFT'S GOOD FOR A FLIGHT TOMORROW MORNING, BUT THAT AIRCRAFT'S NOT GOING OUT TONIGHT. THE PILOT IN THIS CASE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY SO IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BE BUT IT WAS PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES, BUT I KNOW THEY'RE SAFE AND THEY DEPLANED THE AIRCRAFT AND THEY'LL TAKE ANOTHER PLANE TO WEST PALM.(****END****)