Boeing 747: Plane carrying 468 passengers forced to make emergency landing in Indonesia after engine catches fire during take off

A Boeing 747 plane carrying 468 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing after the engine caught fire during take off. The Garuda Indonesia plane was travelling from an airport in the Indonesian city of Makassar to Madinah in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (15 May) when the incident happened. 

A post shared on Twitter, formerly X, by JACDEC, breaking global aviation news, shows a video of the plane taking off as fire engulfs part of the aircraft. Garuda Indonesia said that the Boeing 747-400 immediately returned to the airport of its origin after “fire was observed in one of the engines”.

All the 450 passengers, including those going on Hajj pilgrimage, and 18 crew members were safely evacuated and no one was hurt in the incident, it said. Garuda president-director Irfan Setiaputra said: “The decision was made by the pilot in command immediately after take-off, considering engine problems that required further examination after sparks of fire were observed in one of the engines.”

He said the plane was grounded as an investigation was being carried out into the incident, adding that the passengers of the flight were given accommodation before boarding a replacement flight later the same day. It is the latest in a string of Boeing plane safety incidents.

The firm has been under intense scrutiny and pressure since 5 January when a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after take off. Whistleblowers have come forward to raise concerns about the manufacturer’s safety standards.

Earlier this year, Sam Salehpour, a current quality engineer for the manufacturer, testified to Congress about his concerns. He said Boeing has a “culture of retaliation” when employees speak up about their concerns.

When asked if the planes are safe, Mr Salehpour testified: “It’s like an earthquake. When that hits the building ... [it has] to be prepared to accommodate that type of shake-up... Right now, from what I’ve seen, the airplanes are not being billed per spec, and per requirements.”