Passengers escaped certain death.. Indian plane engine ignites after takeoff (video)
More than 185 people escaped certain death after one of the engines of the plane carrying them to Delhi caught fire shortly after takeoff.
The Spice Jet took off, while the local administration started receiving calls shortly afterwards that it had caught fire, Patna District Judge Chandrashekhar Singh said.
He added, "Many people, mostly residents of the nearby Volwari Sharif locality, started making frantic calls when watching the plane on fire.. Thank God all 185 passengers are fine."
"Arrangements have been made for the affected passengers to travel to their destination on an alternate plane," said director of Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport, Anshal Prakash.
In a statement, Spice Jet said: "At take-off and during rotation, the cockpit crew suspected a bird had hit the engine. As a precaution, the captain turned off the engine and decided to return to Patna. The plane landed safely in Patna and the passengers disembarked safely, and a post-flight check showed A bird was injured, and three propeller blades were damaged.
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news