Another Boeing engine catches fire, dropping parts over Netherlands and injuring 2
- The explosion on the 747 aircraft took place on the same day as a similar incident on a 777 model in the US
- One widely circulated photo of the destruction shows what appears to be a part of an engine blade wedged in the roof of a car
A Boeing 747 plane’s engine exploded in mid-air on Saturday over the Netherlands, dropping metal debris that injured two people, according to Dutch authorities.
The cargo plane operated by charter company Longtail Aviation, began experiencing engine problems shortly after it took off from the town of Maastricht in the Netherlands, bound for New York, CNN reported.
Witnesses heard explosions, and air traffic control informed the pilot that one of the plane’s engines was on fire. The plane scattered parts over the Dutch town of Meerssen, injuring two people and damaging property.
One widely circulated photo of the destruction shows what appears to be a part of an engine blade wedged in the roof of a car like a knife stuck in a block of butter.
The plane made an emergency landing at Liege Airport, in Belgium.
The Boeing 747-400 freighter was powered by a smaller version of the same engines on the United Airlines Boeing 777 involved in a similar incident in Denver, also on Saturday, in which an engine exploded on a United Airlines flight bound for Honolulu, raining debris on Denver suburbs.