DAILY STAR
Terrified onlookers were left in hysterics as they watched a giant Boeing-747 burst into flames minutes after take-off.
The horror moment was captured on video as an Atlas Air flight headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico left Miami International Airport at 10:32pm on Thursday (January 18). The jet caught fire – seemingly under its left wing – mid-air after reportedly experiencing an engine malfunction.
A woman and her mother watched aghast from their window as one of the aircraft’s four General Electric GEnx engines caught alight, and posted the video to Instagram. “Oh my God it’s on fire,” she said in the clip, adding: “It’s on fire! Mum! Holy s**t, I hope they’re okay.”
Thankfully, the plane made an emergency landing and returned safely to the airport with no reported injuries. “The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA,” Atlas Air said in a statement.
The $400 million (£315 million) Boeing 747-8 cargo landed at 10:46pm, just 14 minutes after take-off. Miraculously, the aircraft reportedly continued on its 1,000-mile journey to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.
Shortly after spotting the mid-air fire, the Miami-area witness who posted the Instagram clip claimed to have contacted Miami Dade emergency services. Witnesses report seeing fire services at the scene.
