A video making the rounds online shows the shocking moment an Airbus A321 engine burst into flames on Sunday after it struck a bird while flying over Brazil.
The LATAM Airlines plane, which is based in Chile, had taken off from El Salvador for a three-hour flight to Sao Paulo when a bird suddenly hit the plane's right wing.
Video from inside the flight shows sparks coming from the engine as the pilot turns back to make an emergency landing at Salvador-Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport.
After the pilot miraculously lands the plane safely, the passengers applaud him for their skillful maneuvers. As the aircraft lands, the engine bursts into flames. One passenger was even so grateful to have survived that he got off the plane on his knees.
"It was really a moment of terror that we experienced. A very big scare, but thank God everything went well. The engine burst into flames minutes after takeoff. We panicked, we thought we were going to die," the passenger added.
An airline spokesperson told CEN that all passengers were fine and had already booked seats on other flights.
"The company emphasizes that it is taking all technical measures to ensure a safe journey for everyone," the statement said.
Source: Protothema.gr