A Delta Air Lines flight was forced to double back to an airport in Georgia moments after takeoff when one of its engines reportedly failed, leaving a trail of flaming grass in its wake.
Delta flight 1067, a Boeing 737-900, was supposed to embark on a quick one-hour flight from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to Atlanta around 6:45 p.m. Sunday. It was only in the air for a few moments before the captain declared an emergency.
The pilot reported issues with the left engine, which expelled a flame that was visible from the air traffic control tower.
“Everything ok? I saw a pretty large flame on takeoff,” one air traffic controller said over dispatch, according to a radio recording on Broadcastify.
“We lost left engine straight out here for Delta 1067,” the pilot confirmed.
The grass next to the runway caught fire, according to harrowingphotos taken by emergency responders.
The controller ordered another plane on the runway to move elsewhere so they could “get a fire truck out there,” since “that whole taxiway is on fire.”
The startling videos showed a wall of fire raging alongside the runway as an orange haze overtook the horizon.
“This fire, is it related to the runway? Is it what just happened with our airplane, or is it something different?” the Delta pilot asked.
“Unfortunately, when the engine blew, it set the whole grass on the left side of the airport on fire,” the controller replied grimly.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
