Incident in Indonesia

Flames from engine: Boeing 747 forced to make an emergency landing

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot), krone.at-Grafik)

The passengers of a Boeing 747 experienced a moment of shock when the plane took off from Makassar Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. Flames suddenly burst out of the engine (see video above).

The footage shows the jumbo jet of the airline Garuda Indonesia taking off from the runway when flames suddenly burst out of an engine on the right wing. The incident happened on Wednesday afternoon.

Aircraft turned back and landed safely
According to Garuda Indonesia, the jet, which was due to fly to Saudi Arabia, turned back immediately and landed safely at the airport at 5.15 p.m. local time. All 450 passengers and 18 crew members were uninjured in the incident.

The plane landed safely again at Makassar airport.(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot), krone.at-Grafik)

"The decision was made by the pilot in command immediately after take-off as he detected engine problems that required further investigation after fire was observed in one of the engines," Garuda Indonesia President Irfan Setiaputra was quoted as saying in a statement. The passengers were on their way to Saudi Arabia for the Muslim pilgrimage Hajj.

The airline has only one Boeing 747 in its fleet. However, due to the rising costs of operating the double-decker aircraft, it is unclear how long it will remain in service, according to Garuda Indonesia.

Numerous mishaps with Boeing aircraft
The incident follows numerous other mishaps involving Boeing aircraft. The company has been in a permanent crisis since the crashes of two 737 Max jets with a total of 346 fatalities more than five years ago.