Flames Erupt on Packed Boeing Jet, Forcing Hurried Evacuation

One engine on a Boeing airliner that was taking off from an Italian airport burst into flames Thursday, forcing the plane to be evacuated.

The Ryanair flight had 184 passengers aboard as it was taking off from the Aeroporti di Puglia airport in Brindisi, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.

Local media reports said the fire came from one engine on the Boeing 737-800 while the aircraft was taxiing into position for take-off.

Ryanair plane abandons take-off as explosion sets aircraft on firehttps://t.co/L19NEfaKtz

— The Sun (@TheSun) October 3, 2024

The Italian newspaper Correire Della Sera reported that the passengers and crew used an inflatable slide to evacuate the aircraft.

No injuries were reported.

The airport was closed for several hours after the incident.

A Ryanair flight preparing to depart from Brindisi Airport for Turin was evacuated on the runway after an engine fire on takeoff earlier today.

Video footage via @aviationbrk on X.https://t.co/7tf8Y4kOdn#Ryanair #Brindisi #Turin #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/H0AcuSGKou

— AviationSource (@AvSourceNews) October 3, 2024

“FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin was delayed this morning after cabin crew observed fumes on the outside of the aircraft,” Ryanair said in a statement, according to the Sun.

“Passengers were disembarked without incident and returned to the terminal by bus,” the statement said, adding that passengers would be flown to Turin on a different plane.

The airport later announced that “due to a problem with a departing aircraft, it was necessary to close the Salento Airport in Brindisi,” according to The Standard.

“The problem, which occurred when the aircraft was already aligned at the head for take-off, required the evacuation of passengers via emergency slides.

“The company’s technicians are working on the interventions within their competence and necessary so that Aeroporti di Puglia can proceed with the subsequent checks on the usability of the runway and proceed with the reopening of the airport,” the statement said.

Huge issues today for Bergamo airport.

A ryanair from Barcelona landed early this morning, with a deferred fault of an antiskid not functioning. (Think car Abs).

Burst 4 tyres, huge hole in runway, many dozens of flights cancelled and diverted.#aviation #737 #boeing pic.twitter.com/lQ0NPgNbgq

— Plane Driver Plane Talker (@stopclimbFL200) October 1, 2024

The Mail noted that the incident came after the tires on a different Ryanair jet burst and caught fire during a landing at an airport near Milan.

“You could smell the burning rubber in the plane. That was quite scary,” said Alice Longhurst, a British passenger on the plane that suffered the tire malfucntion.

“We were ready to go, and there were flames, which was scary. I was shocked. I never experienced anything like this before. They told us to wait for a couple of hours, and then they took us off the plane,” she said.

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