A Condor Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing in Italy when the plane’s engine caught fire shortly after departure, causing a frightened passenger to send “goodbye texts” to family and friends.
The Boeing 757, carrying 273 passengers and 8 crew members, was on a journey from Corfu, Greece to Düsseldorf, Germany when it encountered a turbine airflow issue at an altitude of around 36,000 feet on Saturday, as reported by WDR.
Terrified passengers on flight DE 3665 noticed flames emanating from the right wing of the plane shortly after 8 p.m. local time, according to Bild.
The aircraft made an emergency landing at Brindisi Airport in southern Italy at 8:15 p.m. local time, just 40 minutes after takeoff, as indicated by FlightRadar24.
A spokesperson for the airline told The Post the malfunction was caused by a chemical reaction that happened inside the combustion chamber.
“Suddenly, the power went out for a few seconds, and we realized we were no longer climbing,” one passenger told Bild.
“It was an incredibly horrible experience. I already sent goodbye texts because I thought, ‘It’s over now,’” another added.
The aircraft is currently undergoing a technical inspection.
Unverified videos circulating on social media appeared to show the aircraft’s right engine flash in flames during intervals.
In one TikTok video, taken by a passerby in Italy, the jet could be heard making loud sound booms during the malfunction.
“I was just chilling…then realized a plane was literally fighting fire in front of me,” the clip was captioned.
After the emergency landing, passengers and crew were either accommodated in a hotel or stayed at the airport overnight, before flying on another aircraft to Germany the next day.
The airline informed The Post that due to limited hotel availability in Brindisi, they were unable to accommodate all passengers in hotels.
“Unfortunately, there was insufficient hotel capacity in Brindisi, meaning that not all guests could be accommodated in hotels,” the airline said.
“Additional vouchers and blankets were organized at the airport, and a few shops were allowed to remain open to provide supplies. Passengers who took advantage of alternative accommodation options can submit their expenses for reimbursement.”
Additionally, the airline said none of the people onboard the flight were ever “in danger.”
“The reason was a parameter indication outside the normal range caused by a disturbance in the air flow supply to the engine,” the statement said.
“Due to the fault message, it was precautionarily decided to divert to Brindisi. The aircraft landed around 8.15pm at Brindisi Airport, and all guests disembarked the aircraft normally.”
“Another Condor aircraft was dispatched to carry all guests to Düsseldorf on August 17.”
“We apologize for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and employees is always our top priority,” Condor Airlines concluded.
