Plane With "Smashed-In" Nose Lands Safely

A Northwest Airlines plane from Detroit landed in Tampa, Fla., with a dent in its nose, causing a stir among travelers.

Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan says the aircraft collided with a bird. The airline says the incident was a "minor maintenance issue" and is investigating.

No one aboard Flight 478 from Detroit was injured on Sunday. Geoghagan says the pilot did not ask for emergency vehicles to be present for the landing.

Traveler Peter Brylinke was waiting to take the Boeing 757 from Tampa to Minneapolis when he saw the plane on the runway. He says it had a "smashed-in nose" and looked like it crashed into a wall.

Airline spokeswoman Kristin Baur says passengers on the later flight were offered compensation packages.