Delta Air Lines flight departing John Wayne Airport in California has an engine fire
A Delta Air Lines flight departing John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, aborted takeoff Tuesday Jan. 10 afternoon after an engine fire. The Boeing 757-200 operating as Delta flight 447, was bound for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when the emergency occurred at 13:25, according to The Orange County Register.
Passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft and were rebooked on another flight.
Social media video capturing the incident from the plane’s wing showed the aircraft beginning its takeoff when a loud boom was heard. Flames coming from the aircraft’s right side followed along with smoke that engulfed the wing. Pilots were able to safely bring the aircraft to a stop while airport fire crews rushed to extinguish the fire.
A scary situation
Jay Blackmon, a passenger on the flight, caught the incident on camera. He was reportedly filming video due to the steep takeoff at the airport but was left shaken up after witnessing the frightening event.
“I travel a good bit,” Blackmon said to KCAL News. “Never had that happen. It just shook me up a little bit. I’m not gonna lie.”
“It was a boom,” Blackmon said. “I mean, it was right beside me. The rear of the engine was right beside me.”
According to KTLA, the pilots initiated an extinguishing system while emergency airport crews worked to douse the flames. Blackmon’s video shows plumes of heavy black smoke billowing from underneath the plane’s wing. 172 passengers were onboard, and no injuries were reported.
Returning safely to the gate
“I’m sure that they’ll make it right and get me on another flight…Yeah, I don’t know that I would want to get on right now to be honest with you,” Blackmon noted. “But it was a blessing, though. That’s the thing I keep replaying in my mind…is if that had happened in the air, that would have been a whole other situation.”
The plane was seen being towed back to its gate by another passenger on a United Airlines flight. No other disruptions to the airport’s operations were reported.
The carrier’s response
Delta Air Lines confirmed the incident, saying the flight suffered an engine maintenance issue.
“Delta flight 447, set to operate service from John Wayne Airport (SNA) to Atlanta returned to the gate prior to takeoff following an apparent engine maintenance issue. The aircraft was met by local maintenance personnel for further evaluation. We apologize to our customers for this inconvenience and are working to get them to their final destinations as quickly as possible.”
The aircraft is a 25-year-old Boeing 757-2Q8, according to data from ch-aviation. It reportedly has four more years of flying, with a minimum retirement date set for 2027. simpleflying.com