Plane makes emergency landing after engine bursts into flames

A Delta Air Lines flight from São Paulo, Brazil, to Atlanta, Georgia, made an emergency landing after its left engine caught fire shortly after takeoff.

Delta Flight 104, operated on an Airbus A330-300 with 272 passengers and 14 crew members, had just departed São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport when the engine malfunctioned.

A passenger video shared by CNN showed bright orange flames and sparks shooting from the engine into the night sky.

The crew, however, safely returned the plane to Guarulhos, where passengers and crew were transported to the terminal by bus.

No injuries were reported.

Addressing the incident in a statement, Delta Airlines moved quickly to assure the safety of passengers. 

“Delta teams are working to re-accommodate clients to get them safely to their destination. The safety of our clients and crew is our highest priority. We apologise for this delay in their travels.”

The cause of the engine failure is under investigation, and further details have not been released.

The incident comes less than two weeks after a Jazz Aviation flight under the Air Canada brand crashed in New York.

Flight 8646 hit an airport firefighting vehicle shortly after takeoff from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.

Of the 76 people on board, 41 were hospitalised, two pilots died, and a crew member survived after being thrown from the plane, still strapped to her seat.