A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after encountering “major difficulty” at a Midwestern airport. An “Alert 2” was issued just before 3 p.m. at Eppley Airfield, also known as Omaha Airport, located three miles northeast of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, an Alert 2 is declared when an aircraft is approaching an airport with “major difficulty,” a category that can include engine fires or faulty landing gear. Southwest Airlines later confirmed that the aircraft had struck birds shortly after departure. The plane, which was bound for Phoenix, Arizona, returned safely to Eppley Airfield without incident. No injuries were reported. The…..