JetBlue says evacuated flight from Puerto Rico experienced bird strike

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (WABC) -- JetBlue confirmed Sunday that Flight 704 from San Juan, Puerto Rico to JFK Airport experienced a "bird ingestion into the #1 engine", causing an engine fire.

Flight 704 from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan experienced the engine fire while taxiing before takeoff Saturday night around 7:15 p.m.

Puerto Rico airport official Rolando Padua said in a press statement that the 186 passengers aboard the A-321 aircraft were evacuated after the pilot halted the plane before it could take off. The passengers were put on a different flight Saturday night.

Padua said three people suffered minor injuries because of the emergency evacuation.

"I was in the window seat in the first row and heard an enormous boom," said first-row passenger Raymond Talavera, "I looked back and I was able to see the engine basically exploded - smoke everywhere."

Talavera says that the passengers that were on board the flight were relocated to the terminal after exiting the plane.

Dozens of passengers who were forced to evacuate the plane arrived at JFK Airport Sunday morning.

Passengers arriving Sunday morning recounted their ordeal. "People started screaming, and people were trying to bust open the emergency exit with their arms. The flight attendants came and held everybody back," said James Schiano, Jr.

Some information from the Associated Press.