Video: Flames Shoot Out Of Plane’s Engine In Bursts Just After Take-Off

New Delhi: 

An Air Canada flight, headed for Paris with 389 passengers and 13 crew, caught fire within minutes of taking off from the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Friday.

The flight crew immediately declared “PAN-PAN”, or ‘Possible Assistance Needed’ – the standard distress signal internationally, and averted a possible catastrophe as the aircraft returned to the airport without any injuries or casualties.

On Friday, the Boeing 777 wide-body aircraft began departure at 12:17 am (Toronto time). Shortly after take-off, at 12:39 am (Toronto time), as the flight was still ascending over the runway, the air traffic controller (ATC) spotted the first blast of sparks from the plane’s right engine and promptly alerted the crew. The backfiring engine was caught on camera by people on the ground.

The incident adds to the long list of mishaps that have been reported on Boeing’s craft over the past several months.