Moment plane engine catches on fire minutes after takeoff to Los Angeles
A Los Angeles-bound flight from Mexico was forced to turn around after one of its engines caught fire midair.
Passengers on a Viva Aerobus flight from Guadalajara on Tuesday were terrified when one of their jet’s engines burst into fire just minutes after taking off.
Passengers heard a loud explosion before the engine burst into flames, ABC 7 reported.
In footage from the incident, nervous passengers can be heard chattering while another tells them to ‘relax’.
The airline said the fire was caused by ‘a failure related to engine number two, which caused sparks to come out due to metal friction’.
The plane turned around and made an emergency landing at the Guadalajara International Airport, the airline said. All passengers and crewmembers were safely evacuated with no injuries reported.
The plane only spent 43 minutes in the air before landing where it took off, a flight safety analyst determined.
‘Control of the aircraft was maintained at all times,’ the airline said. ‘Additionally, the crew provided timely and professional attention to passengers who required it.’
Passengers on the flight were given hotel accommodations, then put on a replacement flight on Wednesday morning. The aircraft landed in Los Angeles with no further complications.
‘We deeply regret the inconvenience that this circumstance may have caused,’ Viva Aerobus stated.
The airline also said the incident is being investigated by the aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, and the engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney.
It was not the first instance of fires onboard planes this year. In May, a plane burst into flames after it was forced to make an emergency landing on a Florida highway. More than 60 firefighters had to be deployed to stop the blaze.
In June, a flight coming from the Dominican Republic with 137 passengers was forced to crash land at Miami International Airport when a massive fire ignited onboard.
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