From terror to triumph: Flydubai flight continues to Dubai despite engine fire
The crew reported a technical failure soon after taking off from the capital city's airport. The flight was carrying 169 passengers.
11:31 AM EST, January 24, 2024
Engine fire visible from ground
The captain reported a technical issue with the engine at approximately 14:55 Eastern Time, around four minutes after liftoff, as "The Himalayan Times" mentioned. Emergency services were immediately alerted and kept on standby following the report of the failure.
The fire in the engine was visible from the ground. The aircraft initially circled the airport, but the captain ultimately decided to continue the journey.
The Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, confirmed that "the flight is safe and continues on its course towards its destination"."
As reported by Reuters, the incident was caused by a bird strike. "Our experienced flight crew followed standard operating procedures and decided to continue the journey after determining that the engine parameters were within the normal range," a Flydubai spokesperson stated.
The plane arrived in Dubai shortly after midnight local time. An investigation into the incident has begun. Although there were no injuries, the engine fire was visible from the cabin which surely added to the passengers' unease.
Incidents involving bird strikes
Aircraft collisions with birds are most common near airports. While these incidents may occasionally necessitate emergency landings, more often the airplane simply returns to the airport.
On April 24th, we reported a similar incident, which took place on Sunday, April 23rd, in Ohio, USA. Shortly after the 7:43 AM Eastern Time takeoff, a plane collided with a flock of birds, whose impact ignited one of the plane's engines, requiring the crew to alter course. The pilot managed a safe emergency landing. By 8:22 AM Eastern Time, the plane was safely back at the airport.
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Images surfaced online late last year, demonstrating the dangers of birds colliding with planes. A Boeing 737-800 hit a group of geese but was able to land safely and without injuries. The photos of the plane after the incident were rather disturbing, though.
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In the images, the plane appeared as if it had collided with a much larger animal. The damage was substantial, with traces of blood visible in various places.
