A Delta Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing after one of its engines caught fire shortly after takeoff.
The plane, a Boeing 767-400, was flying to Atlanta but had to turn back to Los Angeles when orange flames were seen coming from its left engine.
A plane enthusiast named Josh, who was filming the aircraft, captured the dramatic moment. In the video, he was heard shouting, “look at that!” and “woah!” as flames became visible. While the plane was descending, he added, “Thankfully, the hydraulics are functioning and we got the landing gear down for the 767.”
After the plane landed safely, Josh zoomed in on the damaged engine and commented that the aircraft had landed “nice and safely.” Emergency vehicles were quickly seen heading toward the plane.
An airline spokesperson later explained what happened: “Delta flight 446 returned to Los Angeles shortly after departure following an indication of an issue with the aircraft’s left engine.”
This is not the only incident involving a Boeing engine that happened recently. Earlier in the same week, another plane also caught fire shortly after taking off from Los Angeles.
In that case, it was a Boeing 737 from Sun Country Airlines. Flames and sparks were seen coming from its right engine just moments after the flight left the ground. Some passengers described it as a mid-air “explosion.”
The plane, which was heading to Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport with 166 people on board, had to turn around. The pilots quickly declared an emergency and landed safely back at Los Angeles International Airport.
Fire trucks and emergency teams were waiting on the ground as the plane arrived.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the Sun Country incident.
