Plane with 'softball-sized hole' above engine makes emergency landing in Miami: 'Oh my god, it's on fire!'
MIAMI - What seemed like an ordinary evening for Miami resident Melanie Adaros turned into an extraordinary sight.
She was walking with her mom outside her home near Miami International Airport (MIA) on Thursday night when she heard a low-flying plane, Adaros told Storyful.
"It had sparks coming out of it, seemingly on fire, and it wasn't ascending," Adaros said. "I live in a fly zone, so we see planes all the time but not like this. It continued to fly, shooting sparks, and stayed low."
Atlas Air confirmed the plane in Adaros' video was the same flight – 5Y095 – that experienced the engine failure, according to Storyful.
"Oh my god, it's on fire! Oh my god!" Adaros is heard saying in the video.
Photo: Melanie Adaros via Storyful
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told FOX 35 that Atlas Air Flight 95 returned safely to MIA around 10:30 p.m. after the crew reported an engine failure. The cargo plane was headed to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico.
According to flight records from FlightAware, the same flight number, albeit on a different aircraft, landed in Puerto Rico on Friday afternoon.
The FAA's preliminary report said when the Boeing 747 departed, it experienced an engine failure and returned to land. A post-flight inspection revealed a "softball-sized hole" above the second engine. Softballs typically have a diameter of about 3-and-a-half inches.
MORE TRAVEL NEWS:
- American Airlines flight attendant accused of recording minors using aircraft bathrooms: DOJ
- Officials say 40 Boeing jets were inspected as probe continues into midair blowout
- Spirit Airlines, JetBlue merger blocked by federal judge. Here's why.
An Atlas Air spokesperson shared the following statement with FOX 35:
"We can confirm that Flight 5Y095, a 747-8 cargo aircraft, has landed safely after experiencing an engine malfunction soon after departure from Miami International Airport (MIA). The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA. At Atlas, safety is always our top priority and we will be conducting a thorough inspection."
It remains unclear how many people were onboard the cargo plane at the time. According to the FAA's preliminary report, there were no injuries. This report is preliminary and is subject to change, the FAA said.
The FAA continues to investigate.