A plane flying out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina struck a deer just before noon Wednesday, Federal Aviation Administration officials said.
FAA officials said the American Eagle CRJ 700 plane operated by PSA Airlines returned to the airport after declaring an emergency after it apparently struck a deer while taking off.
The plane hit the animal around 11:45 a.m. while taking off from runway 36.
The plane could be seen dumping fuel as it circled back to land.
After it landed safely, emergency crews surrounded the plane. Officials said there was a fuel leak and crews sprayed the plane with foam.
American Airlines said all 44 passengers were evacuated from the plane and taken by bus back to the terminal. No one was injured.
The flight was headed to Gulfport, Mississippi, and the passengers were placed on another flight.
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