A FedEx plane was forced to make an emergency landing back at Newark Airport in the United States after the right engine caught fire and made a dive back for the runway
Chilling footage has emerged of a FedEx plane engulfed in flames shortly after take-off, forcing it to make an immediate return to the runway.
The aircraft was spotted ablaze above Newark Airport in the US, necessitating a swift and dramatic descent back to the ground in terrifying scenes as eyewitnesses reported “explosions” at the major American airport.
Emergency services were quick to respond as one of the engines was consumed by fire. A social media post said: “Engine failure/fire FedEx 3609 at Newark on takeoff, returned to land.”
The plane had initially taken off at 7.58am but was compelled to make an emergency landing back at Newark by 8:07am.
Eyewitnesses recounted how the aircraft took off with visible flames before safely returning to the airport. Social media videos reveal the right engine of the plane aflame mid-air, with large flames still visible upon landing.
Reports suggest that the fire was sparked by birds entering the engine, reports the Mirror. Emergency services were also filmed near the plane on the tarmac, successfully extinguishing the blaze.
“FedEx #FDX3609,Boeing 767, suffered a bird strike leading to right engine failure this morning at Newark Airport. The pilots declared an emergency and safely landed back just 9 minutes after takeoff. Kudos to the crew for their exceptional handling of a tough situation,” one social media user praised.
Following the incident, air traffic was put on a brief pause as a safety measure, but it wasn’t long before operations were back up and running, with officials confirming there were no injuries.
This event comes hot on the heels of another drama at Newark airport last Tuesday involving a United Airlines flight that had to make an unscheduled return to terra firma.
Flight 1544 had set off bright and early, just shy of 6am, bound for Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. However, the Boeing 757 made a U-turn after an hour’s flight due to a mechanical gremlin, Port Authority bigwigs reported.
Onboard were 176 passengers and a crew of six, all of whom were none the wiser about the impending detour. “United flight 1544 to Las Vegas returned to Newark Liberty International Airport to address a possible mechanical issue,” the airline stated.
“The flight landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. We have arranged for a different aircraft to take our customers to Las Vegas this morning.”
Just last month, a flock of swans caused a plane to make an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport after they collided with such force that the aircraft’s fuselage was riddled with holes.
The Boeing 737 Max, operated by Tui, had ascended to roughly 1,000 feet on its way to Cape Verde when the pilots issued a mayday distress call due to a bird strike at a whopping 185mph.
The impact, which also shattered the plane’s windscreen, necessitated an immediate landing. Upon touching down, the aircraft was greeted by an escort on the runway.