Delta Airlines flight forced to turn back to Atlanta Airport over mechanical issues that caused 'flames' to erupt from engine

Passengers on Delta flight 105 heading to Sao Paulo in Brazil had to return to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta shortly after take-off Wednesday night (1 January) due to a problem with the left engine. Video sent to WSBTV showed what appeared to be fire bursting out of the engine before it quickly extinguished.

The woman told the local news station she heard loud explosions come from the plane and visible flames erupting from the engine. The airline told the Daily Mail: “The Airbus 330 landed safely just after 7 p.m. and was met by firetrucks, which sprayed down the aircraft’s breaks as a precautionary measure due to the heavier than normal landing weight”.

No injuries were reported among the 257 passengers, four pilots and 10 flight attendants on board. The incident comes after a Delta Airlines aircraft was forced to abandon take-off at a Las Vegas airport in October last year after smoke was seen billowing from its engine as it taxied on the runway.

The Atlanta-bound DL777 was delayed for several hours at the Harry Reid International Airport when 'engine issues' were discovered. No injuries were reported among any of the 291 onboard passengers and nine crew members.

Emergency inspection crews arrived at the scene to go over the aircraft when it was determined that ignited fuel had been emitted from the engine, which caused the issue. A Delta spokesperson later confirmed that the plane had ran into the issue as it accelerated before takeoff.