Boeing Cargo Plane In Flames Has Emergency Landing In Miami

August 2024 · 3 minute read

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate after a cargo plane made an emergency landing in Miami due to experiencing an engine malfunction. A video posted on TikTok showed a plane on fire mid-air, although the local fire department tells TIME that there was no fire when the aircraft landed. 

Atlas Air Flight 95, a Boeing 747-8 cargo plane en route to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico, landed at Miami International Airport (MIA) around 10:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 18, after the crew reported an engine failure, a spokesperson for the FAA tells TIME.

The plane landed safely and no injuries were reported, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tells TIME in an email. Six units responded to a “hazardous situation” at 10:40 p.m. and were on standby at the airport when the plane landed. 

The TikTok video, which has been shared by Associated Press but not independently verified by TIME, shows a plane on fire, with a streak of orange light behind it as it makes its way through the night sky. HuffPost reported that Miami resident Melanie Adaros said she took the video and can be heard exclaiming in shock on the recording.  

When asked whether the plane was on fire, the fire department’s spokesperson tells TIME in an email that “as per the responding units, there was no fire when the aircraft landed.” The department said it had no information if the plane was on fire prior to landing.

In response to a similar question, the FAA tells TIME it “will investigate.” 

A spokesperson for Atlas Air, which offers cargo deliveries and passenger charter flights, tells TIME in an email that “the crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA. At Atlas, safety is always our top priority and we will be conducting a thorough inspection.” The company did not answer how many people were on board the plane. 

A Boeing spokesperson tells TIME in an emailed statement that the company is “supporting our customer and will support the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigation into this incident.” Boeing said GE Aviation made the engine, and TIME has reached out to the engine maker for comment. 

2024 is already proving to be a challenging year for aviation safety, in particular for Boeing aircraft.

On Jan. 5, a door plug on a Boeing 787 MAX 9 plane blew out 10 minutes into an Alaska Airlines flight from Oregon to California, prompting an emergency landing of the aircraft delivered to the airline just two months before. No one was seriously injured. 

Alaska Airlines grounded all its 787 MAX 9 planes for safety inspections, followed by the FAA issuing a grounding order for all models of the plane in the country. Alaska Airlines extended its cancellations of flights using the aircraft until Jan. 21, impacting 110 to 150 flights a day, the airline said.

The NTBS is investigating the incident and the FAA is investigating Boeing’s manufacturing and production lines and that of its subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems. Passengers on that flight sued Alaska Airlines and Boeing this week, ABC reported

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also forced to change planes on Jan. 17 while leaving the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland after a reported critical failure on his Boeing 737, CNN reported.

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