Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 Cargo Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Miami After Engine Fire

An Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Miami after an engine fire broke out shortly after take-off. The incident occurred during a flight headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico from Miami International Airport. The pilot promptly reported the engine fire and sought permission to return to the airport. Video footage circulating on social media captured the flames shooting out of the left wing of the aircraft in mid-flight.

The crew on board successfully executed a safe return to Miami International Airport, with no reported injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations to determine the cause of the incident. An inspection following the flight revealed a tennis ball-sized hole above the engine, prompting suspicions of an uncontained engine failure. Atlas Air has pledged to conduct a thorough inspection into the matter.

US air safety expert John Cox commented that while single-engine malfunctions are not typically considered significant events, this incident suggests an uncontained engine failure. Given that an engine failure of this nature can result in blade separation, investigations will closely examine factors such as the age of the engine and its maintenance history. Cox also noted that recent incidents of uncontained engine failures, like the 2018 Southwest Airlines flight where a passenger was partially sucked out of a window, are increasingly garnering attention.

The Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 involved in the incident is eight years old, equipped with four General Electric GEnx engines. Both Boeing and GE Aerospace are cooperating with the NTSB investigation. This engine failure brings fresh concerns in the wake of two notable jetliner accidents earlier this year. In January, an Airbus A350 passenger plane operated by Japan Airlines crashed, resulting in the loss of five crew members. A few days later, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, leading to a temporary grounding of all planes of that model for safety checks. Additionally, a small Cessna passenger plane landed on a highway in Virginia, but no injuries were reported.