‘I already sent goodbye texts’
A Condor Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after the plane’s engine had burst into flames shortly after takeoff — prompting one terrified passenger to send out “goodbye texts” to loved ones.
The Boeing 757 carrying 273 passengers and 8 crew members from Corfu, Greece to Düsseldorf, Germany experienced a turbine airflow disruption at an altitude of approximately 36,000 feet during the flight Saturday, per WDR.
Terrified passengers aboard flight DE 3665 began to notice flames spitting from the right wing of the plane just after 8 p.m. local time, Bild reported.
The flight made an emergency landing at Brindisi Airport in southern Italy, at 8:15 p.m. local time. The landing came just 40 minutes after takeoff, per 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 the outlet.
“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.
Following the impromptu landing, passengers and crew members were either placed in a hotel or spent the night at the airport before another aircraft took them to Germany the following morning.
In a statement to The Post, the airline admitted that due to limited hotel availibility in Brindisi, some passengers were not accommodated in a hotel.
“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.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
