Plane engine catches fire after takeoff from Shahjalal, passengers survive
A Turkish Airlines plane caught fire in its engine shortly after takeoff from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The pilot made an emergency landing after sensing the issue.
On Tuesday (May 20), Shahjalal International Airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad confirmed the matter.
He said that immediately after takeoff, the pilot saw some sparks in one of the engines. It is believed that a bird hit may have occurred. Then the pilot immediately decided to return to the airport. The passengers are safe. There were 280 passengers on the plane. And 11 were crew.
Airport sources also said that Turkish Airlines flight TK 713 (Airbus A330-303) departed from Shahjalal International Airport at around 7 am for Istanbul, Turkey with 280 passengers on board. 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed a spark in one of the two engines.
The pilot decided to make an emergency landing. After circling the plane for about an hour and a half, he burned fuel and made an emergency landing at 8:15 pm. The passengers are currently being transferred to hotels and arrangements have been made to reach their destinations through alternative flights.
Earlier, on May 16, a Bangladesh Biman flight departing from Cox’s Bazar International Airport lost its wheels and fell to the ground. However, the pilot’s skill enabled the flight to land safely.
