The terrifying moment when a Boeing 747 purportedly caught fire mid-air just moments after taking off from Miami International Airport Thursday night was caught on camera.
The plane in question was an Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 cargo plane. The company said in a statement that it returned safely to the airport with no injuries reported.
‘The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA,’ the company said in a statement.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded and no injuries were reported, Miami International Airport said in a separate statement.
Flightaware data shows that the over $400 million dollar plane took off from Miami airport at 10:32pm and returned at 10:46pm. It continued on its planned journey to San Juan, Puerto Rico, later in the evening.
The Miami-area Instagram user who posted the video showing the plane on fire said that she contacted Miami Dade County Emergency shortly after noticing the unfolding disaster.
Officials thanked her for contacting them and assured her that the plane returned to Miami international with no injuries reported.
Flightaware data said that the plane flew on from Puerto Rico to Bogota, Colombia, in the early hours of Friday without incident.
In January 2023, Atlas Air took delivery of Boeing’s final 747-8 as the company discontinued the brand. The airline is the largest operator of freighter 747s.
‘We’ve carried everything on the 747 from race cars to racehorses, from rocket parts to satellites, electronics, overnight express shipments – and various forms of perishables like fresh flowers, vegetables and fish,’ John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide, said at the time.
‘And we are proud to serve the U.S. military as the largest provider of their airlift – carrying both troops and cargo – and the 747 is the backbone of this critical work,’ he added at the time.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Atlas Air for more information on Thursday’s incident.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/articles.rss
Paul Farrell
