LAS VEGAS -- A cargo plane pilot who took off from Phoenix early Wednesday was forced to make an emergency landing after a bird smashed through the windshield, spraying him with a mix of glass and blood.

Photos: Bird Strike Leaves Plane A Bloody Mess

Photos of the accident were released to FOX5, showing the pilot recovering on the ground with a bandage around his head and a blood-splattered cockpit. Doctors in Show Low, Ariz. said the pilot needed several stitches to repair cuts to his face.

The bird struck the plane at 11,000 feet, as it was descending into Show Low to drop off a package.