EasyJet aircraft grounded after engine catches fire in mid-air with passengers onboard
An EasyJet flight was grounded after the engine caught fire in mid-air while passengers were on board.
EasyJet Airbus A320-200 experienced an engine failure on its flight from Milan to Lamezia Terme, Italy.
The flight reportedly operated as usual until it began its descent phase.
Flight U2-3557, departing from Milan Malpensa Airport, saw its right engine fail while descending into Lamezia Terme on 27 December.
The crew shut down the engine after ‘breathing out a flame’ and landed safely on Lamezia’s runway approximately 23 minutes later. Aviation Reporter.
The flight landed at 9.52am, just two minutes behind its scheduled arrival time.
Video images Footage of the incident was captured by Aviation-knowledge and shared on Facebook, where you can see the shattered wreckage.
The pilots followed emergency procedures, maintaining control of the aircraft until it came to a safe stop on the runway at Lamezia Terme Airport.
An easyJet flight experienced engine failure while flying in Italy (stock)
Images of the engine and wreckage were shared on social media
The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew exited the aircraft without any injuries.
It was reported that the plane remained on the tarmac for six days.
It underwent a full inspection, replacement and repair before returning to operations.
The failure was described as ‘uncontainable’, according to a report by . AeroXplorer.
This is a serious classification where ‘debris from internal rotating components of the engine penetrates the external protective cowling’.
The aircraft is a 10-year-old Airbus A320-200.
An EasyJet spokesperson confirmed the incident in a statement.
They said: ‘Flight EJU3557 from Milan Malpensa to Lamezia on 27 December requested priority landing due to a technical problem.
There were no injuries in the incident and the plane landed safely.
‘The captain performed a routine landing in line with procedures and the aircraft was met by emergency services in Lamezia as a precaution only.
‘The safety of our customers and crew is easyJet’s top priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in full compliance with all manufacturers’ guidelines.’
It comes after an easyJet flight to Iceland was forced to land in Edinburgh last month after adverse weather conditions prevented landing.
Flight U22261 departed Manchester at 17.45 and was scheduled to land in Reykjavik at 18.40 on 28 December.
