In a dramatic turn of events late Thursday, an Atlas Air Boeing 747-8F cargo plane, carrying five crew members, was forced to make an emergency landing at Miami International Airport (MIA) following an engine malfunction shortly after takeoff.
Social media platforms, including platform X, circulated unverified videos displaying flames erupting from the aircraft’s left wing during flight. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident, as confirmed to Reuters by airport authorities.
“Adhering to all standard safety procedures, the crew successfully executed a safe return to MIA,” stated the air-freight company. Atlas Air announced plans to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the malfunction.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to launch a probe into the incident, while Boeing has directed queries to Atlas Air regarding the matter.
Data from Flightradar24 reveals that the involved aircraft is eight years old. The Boeing 747-8 model, as per Boeing’s website, operates on four General Electric GEnx engines.
General Electric had not provided a statement at the time of reporting.
Engine failures, although rare, pose significant risks, especially in cases of uncontained engine failures where rotating parts breach the engine’s exterior.
This incident occurs amidst a year marked by notable jetliner accidents. An Airbus A350, operated by Japan Airlines, collided with a Coast Guard aircraft in Tokyo on January 2nd, resulting in the tragic loss of five crew members. Shortly thereafter, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 was compelled to make an emergency landing after a cabin panel blowout, leading the FAA to ground 171 jets temporarily for safety inspections.
Atlas Air Flight 5Y095 was en route from Miami International Airport to San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the pilot issued a Mayday call at approximately 0333 GMT, citing an engine fire and requesting an immediate return to the airport. This was confirmed by liveatc.net, which provided multi-channel recordings of the communication between air traffic control and the aircraft.
A crew member reported that the emergency involved engine number two and occurred during the aircraft’s ascent.
Atlas Air, serving major clients like DHL and FedEx, transitioned to private ownership last year following an acquisition by a consortium led by Apollo Global Management.
The Boeing 747, historically dubbed the “Queen of the Skies,” revolutionized air travel as the world’s pioneering twin-aisle wide-body jet. Despite its iconic status, advancements in aviation technology and the advent of more efficient dual-engine jets led Boeing to cease its 747 production in July 2020. Atlas Air received the last commercial Boeing jumbo freighter version in the previous year.
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, reuters.com
