Passengers onboard a flight from Corfu, Greece, to Düsseldorf, Germany, found themselves in a terrifying situation when their plane caught fire mid-air.
The aircraft, operated by Condor Airlines, had to make an emergency landing in Italy after the alarming sight of flames was noticed by those on the ground.
As reported by WDR, the Boeing 757, which was carrying 273 passengers and eight crew members, encountered a turbine airflow disruption at 36,000 feet on Saturday, 17 August.
This disruption resulted in the engine catching fire shortly after departure, prompting a passenger to send goodbye messages to loved ones, fearing the worst.
As recounted by Bild, a passenger on Flight DE 3665 noticed flames emerging from the plane’s right wing just after 8 pm.
One passenger described the harrowing experience, saying, “Suddenly, the power went out for a few seconds, and we realized we were no longer climbing.” Another added, “It was an incredibly horrible experience. I already sent goodbye texts because I thought, ‘It’s over now.’”
After identifying the issue, the plane safely conducted an emergency landing at Brindisi Airport in southern Italy, just 40 minutes post-takeoff, as recorded by FlightRadar24.
The airline later reassured passengers, stating they were never in real danger despite the alarming situation.
“The reason was a parameter indication outside the normal range caused by a disturbance in the air flow supply to the engine,” the airline explained in a statement.
“Due to the fault message, it was precautionarily decided to divert to Brindisi. The aircraft landed around 8.15 pm at Brindisi Airport, and all guests disembarked the aircraft normally.”
A video taken from the ground captured the plane’s engine emitting intermittent fire bursts, lighting up the sky before the flames extinguished.
One TikTok user documented the experience, noting the plane’s loud noises and captioned the clip: “I was just chilling … then realized a plane was literally fighting fire in front of me.”
An airline spokesperson clarified to LADbible Group that a chemical reaction within the combustion chamber was responsible for the issue, and a technical inspection is underway.
Despite the safe landing, some passengers stranded in Italy were left without immediate accommodations.
The Mirror reports that those affected had to sleep at the terminal due to limited hotel availability in Brindisi.
“Unfortunately, there was insufficient hotel capacity in Brindisi, meaning that not all guests could be accommodated in hotels,” the airline informed the outlet.
“Additional vouchers and blankets were organized at the airport, and a few shops were allowed to remain open to provide supplies. Passengers who took advantage of alternative accommodation options can submit their expenses for reimbursement.”
Nevertheless, the airline dispatched another aircraft to ensure all passengers reached Düsseldorf on the same day.
Condor Airlines extended an apology for the incident, emphasizing their commitment to passenger safety.
They also addressed ‘media reports’ about the engine fire, stating: “We can confirm that media reports about an engine combusted in fire are FALSE. What happened was a reaction near the engine that normally takes place in the engine’s combustion chamber leading to a visible reaction at the rear of the engine. This posed no danger to the guests at any time.”