Written by Paul Farrell for Dailymail.Com
08:55 January 19, 2024, updated 09:44 January 19, 2024
The terrifying moment was captured on camera when a Boeing 747 burst into flames in midair just moments after takeoff from Miami International Airport on Thursday evening.
The aircraft in question was an Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 freighter. The company said in a statement that it returned safely to the airport without any injuries reported.
“The crew followed all standard procedures and returned safely MIA,” the company said in a statement.
Miami International Airport said in a separate statement that the Miami-Dade Rescue Team responded and no injuries were reported.
Flightaware data shows that the plane worth more than $400 million took off from the Miami airport at 10:32 p.m. and returned at 10:46 p.m. It continued its planned flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, later in the evening.
The Miami-area Instagram user who posted the video showing the plane burning said she called Miami-Dade County 911 shortly after noticing the unfolding disaster.
Officials thanked her for calling them and assured her that the plane had returned to Miami International Airport with no reported injuries.
Flight Aware data said the plane took off from Puerto Rico to Bogota, Colombia, in the early hours of Friday without any incident.
DailyMail.com has contacted Atlas Air for more information about Thursday's incident.
The aviation accident is the latest disaster to affect beleaguered plane maker Boeing.
Earlier this week, the company announced it would increase quality inspections of its 737 MAX 9 aircraft in response to an emergency exit door panel failure on an Alaska Airlines flight.
Boeing's reputation as the leading American aircraft maker has been tarnished by a series of manufacturing defects that have led some airlines to postpone plane purchases or go with European rival Airbus.
Federal regulators have grounded the 737 MAX planes until safety checks are performed on the door jacks of every plane in service in the United States.
The company's shares have fallen by more than a fifth since the door blew down.
The aircraft manufacturer has seen its market value decline by about $30 billion, to $123.74 billion, since the January 5 incident.
Last Sunday, the wings of two Boeing planes were clipped while taxiing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
The left wing of All Nippon Airways Flight 11, a Japanese airline, collided with the back of Delta Air Lines Flight 2122 at about 6:30 p.m. local time, said Tony Molinaro, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Both aircraft were designed by Boeing – the All Nippon Airways flight was a Boeing 777, and the Delta Air Lines flight was a Boeing 717.
No injuries were reported, and the Federal Aviation Administration says it will investigate the incident.
“Customers disembarked normally at the gate and Delta maintenance technicians are evaluating the aircraft,” Delta said in a statement.
In January 2023, Atlas Air took delivery of Boeing's final 747-8 as the company retired the brand. The airline is the largest operator of 747 freighter aircraft.
“We carried everything on the 747 from race cars to racehorses, from rocket parts to satellites, electronics, express overnight cargo — and various forms of perishable items like fresh flowers, vegetables and fish,” said John Dietrich, president and CEO. Atlas Air International said at the time.
“We are proud to serve the U.S. Army as the largest provider of their airlift — carrying troops and cargo — and the 747 is the backbone of this critical work,” he added at the time.
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