Air Canada Boeing 767 catches fire shortly after takeoff, lands safely without injuries

On the evening of June 5, an Air Canada Boeing Flight AC872 bound for Paris experienced an engine fire shortly after taking off from Toronto Pearson Airport. The incident occurred about thirty minutes into the flight as the plane was ascending. Despite the terrifying situation, the plane made a safe emergency landing back at the airport.

Safe landing after engine fire

The flight had just departed its gate at 8:46 pm but had to return and land at 9:50 pm. A viral video captured the dramatic moment when a light flashed from the right engine, followed by a small explosion that set part of the plane ablaze. Witnesses on the ground were shocked, with one exclaiming, “Holy crap! It’s got an engine fire!”

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Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the 400 passengers and crew members. The aircrew managed to handle the emergency calmly and safely. According to an Air Canada representative, the fire was caused by an engine compressor issue. After landing, the aircraft was inspected by airport response vehicles and taxied to the gate on its own.

Investigation and Ffuture flights

The Boeing 777-300ER involved in the incident has been part of Air Canada’s fleet since March 2008. It will now be taken out of service for a thorough evaluation by maintenance and engineering professionals. Passengers from the affected flight were accommodated on another aircraft departing later that night.

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This incident marks the second engine-related issue at Toronto Pearson Airport in less than two weeks. On May 27, a flight bound for Delhi, India, also encountered an engine problem shortly after takeoff and had to reroute. Despite these incidents, the prompt and effective response by the crew ensured the safety of all passengers.