A cargo jet went up in flames as it was flying over Miami Thursday night.
via: Forbes
A Boeing 747-8 cargo plane operated by Atlas Air made an emergency landing at Miami International Airport late Thursday after the plane suffered an engine malfunction minutes after taking off.
The cargo airline told Reuters the crew was able to land safely after following standard procedures and said it will inspect the plane to establish the cause of the incident.
Unverified videos shared on social media showed flames and sparks flying from what appears to be one of the engines on the left side of the plane.
Flight path data on FlightAware showed the cargo plane taking off from the airport at around 10.32 p.m. EST before immediately circling back and landing at around 10:46 p.m.
The plane was scheduled to fly from Miami to Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan, according to the flight data.
The incident involved a freighter version of the 747-8 aircraft, the latest and most advanced model of Boeing’s popular jumbo jet. With airlines choosing more modern and fuel-efficient planes, Boeing decided to end production of the four-engine widebody plane in late 2022—53 years after the first 747 model took flight. Atlas Air took delivery of the final Boeing 747-8 plane in January last year.
