Boeing Delta 767 flight catches fire after takeoff, returns to Los Angeles

Delta Flight DL446 made an emergency landing after flames erupted from its left engine shortly after takeoff from Los Angeles

A Delta Air Lines flight en route to Atlanta was forced to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport shortly after takeoff on Saturday (local time), after pilots detected signs of a fire in the aircraft’s left engine.

 

Flight DL446, operated by a Boeing 767-400, had departed Los Angeles airport when the crew observed indications of an engine fire. The aircraft, powered by two GE CF6 engines, was climbing out over the Pacific Ocean when the issue arose. Pilots immediately declared an emergency and requested a return to Los Angeles. Air Traffic Control guided the jet safely back, alerting emergency services at the airport.

 

Ground footage captured by aviation YouTube channel LA Flights, run by Josh and Peter, showed flames erupting from the left engine as the aircraft turned back over southern Los Angeles. In the video, the jet is seen flying steadily while a fireball blazes beneath one wing. As the aircraft descended, the fire appeared to subside. The landing gear deployed as expected, and the plane touched down safely with the engine no longer visibly burning. 

 

A spokesperson for Delta Airlines told the BBC, “Delta Flight 446 returned to Los Angeles shortly after departure following an indication of an issue with the aircraft’s left engine.”

 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident.

 

Delta engine fire follows deadly Air India crash in June

 

The Delta engine fire incident comes just a month after a separate and far more tragic incident involving a Boeing aircraft. On June 12, an Air India flight 171 operating a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college complex in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad shortly after take-off. The flight was en route from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London. The crash claimed the lives of more than 260 people.

 

A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), released on July 12, revealed that the fuel switches to the aircraft’s engines had been turned off within seconds of take-off. The action caused immediate confusion in the cockpit, according to the report, which remains under investigation. 

 

A subsequent report by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, said the first officer had questioned the more experienced captain about switching the fuel controls to the "cutoff" position just after the plane lifted off the runway. The captain is believed to have turned off the switches, though the AAIB has not clarified whether the action was deliberate or accidental.