A cargo plane en route to Puerto Rico was forced to make an emergency landing due to problems with the engine.
Atlas Air Flight 5Y095, a Boeing 747-8 cargo plane departed Miami International Airport (MIA) around 10:11 p.m. Thursday, a spokesperson for Atlas Air confirmed to IJR.
An hour after take-off, the cargo plane returned to MIA around 11:03 p.m., due to an “engine malfunction,” the spokesperson said.
“We can confirm that Flight FY095, a 747-8 cargo aircraft, has landed safely after experiencing an engine malfunction soon after departure from Miami International Airport,” the Atlas Air spokesperson said in a statement. “The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA.”
NEW INFO: FAA says “post flight inspection revealed a SOFTBALL SIZE HOLE above the #2 engine” of Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 cargo flight that suffered an engine fire over Miami late Thursday.
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) January 19, 2024
Successful emergency landing, great work by the crew!
Video from Melanie Adaros. pic.twitter.com/5Nu9LpwwIq
“At Atlas, safety is always our top priority and we will be conducting a thorough inspection,” the spokesperson added.
While on the way to San Juan, a pilot on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft made a mayday call to air traffic control at MIA, requesting to return, according to an audio recording obtained by NBC Miami.
“Mayday, mayday….We have an engine fire,” the pilot said. “Request access back to the airport. No, we’ll go ahead and land. We have five souls onboard.”
A preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found that there had reportedly been a “softball-sized hole” above one of the engines on the cargo plane, according to the outlet.
After landing at MIA, the cargo plane flew out of MIA around 8:30 a.m. Friday for Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico, according to FlightAware.
The Atlas Air engine malfunction comes after a window section on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 Max, blew off mid-flight at 16,000 feet after losing a door plug. As a result of the gaping hole in the aircraft, many passengers lost valuable items such as their phones.
After the incident, the FAA issued an order, temporarily grounding more than 100 Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft. On Wednesday, the FAA issued a statement adding that all Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft with door plugs would continue to be grounded until the FAA held a review and approval of an inspection that met the FAA’s safety requirements.
