A New York-bound Boeing flight that went viral when flames were filmed shooting out of its wings had suffered “engine failure leading to a fuel leak,” according to an official investigation published Friday.
Delta flight DAL209 went wildly viral in February last year when a passenger filmed the terrifying sparks and flames after a loud bang — with some of the 211 passengers onboard heard bursting into tears.
A UK government investigation found that “during takeoff from Edinburgh Airport bound for New York, a high-pressure turbine blade fractured in the right engine.”
“The blade damaged a further five blades,” throwing it out of balance and fracturing a tube in the wing, according to the report released Friday by the government’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
“Fuel escaping from the wing was ignited by the hot engine exhaust, and this was recorded on video by a passenger,” the report said — noting the “significant potential for a fuel fire.”
The flames were extinguished as the JFK-bound jet was diverted to another Scottish airport. “The passengers were rapidly disembarked, with no injuries,” the report noted of the scare.
A reporter on the flight previously said that passengers appeared more confused than panicked.
“The plane took off and there was a loud engine noise, similar to the noise normally during take-off and landing, but it seemed to continue once we were in the air,” said BBC News journalist Laura Pettigrew.
“When the plane touched down we could see fire trucks and firefighters with hoses rushing towards us,” Pettigrew said.
The UK authority said it had p[assed on its report to the US, too.
“A safety recommendation has been made to the Federal Aviation Administration that requires the Boeing Aircraft Company to demonstrate that following this serious incident, the design of the slat track housing drain tube on the Boeing 767 family of aircraft continues to comply with the certification requirements for large transport aircraft.”
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
