New incident at Boeing: its engine catches fire, a plane must land urgently

Un Boeing 747-400 de la compagnie Garuda Indonesia a dû atterrir en urgence en raison d’un incendie moteur (photo d'illustration). Aldrin Rachman Pradana – UNSPLASH

Un Boeing 747-400 reliant l’Indonésie à l’Arabie Saoudite a été contraint d’effectuer un atterrissage d’urgence. En cause, un incendie de moteur sur l’avion de ligne transportant 468 personnes.

The list is growing for Boeing. A Boeing 747-400 from Garuda Indonesia carrying 468 people from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia had to land urgently due to an engine fire, reports BFM.

"Sparks"

"The decision was made by the captain immediately after takeoff, given the problems identified after sparks were observed in the aircraft. one of the engines", said Irfan Setiaputra, general manager of Garuda, in a statement, quoted by the Huffington Post.

Images posted on social networks, which have not been verified by AFP, reportedly show the plane's engine catching fire during takeoff.

Unharmed passengers

The Boeing returned to its original airport in the Indonesian city of Makassar at 5:15 p.m. local time (9:15 a.m. GMT). All passengers, 450 people and 18 crew members, were unhurt.

All were redirected to accommodation before boarding a replacement flight later on Wednesday to Saudi Arabia. The aircraft remained on the ground for a safety investigation, according to statements by the general director of the Indonesian company.

Two pilots nap

Garuda Indonesia is 60% owned by the Indonesian state. The company suffered massive losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. The majority of its fleet has been grounded due to travel restrictions and falling demand and hundreds of employees have been laid off, says the Huffington Post.< /em>