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Louise Thomas

Editor

A report into an engine fire that prompted an emergency landing on a flight from Scotland to New York last year has posed further safety questions for Boeing.

The Delta flight from Edinburgh to JFK was diverted to land at Prestwick Airport shortly after take-off due to a “high-pressure turbine blade fracture” on 10 February 2023.

During the diversion to the aviation hub near Glasgow, “fuel escaping from the wing was ignited by the hot engine exhaust”, said the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) in a report.

The Boeing 767-332 aircraft had six damaged blades as a result of the high engine vibration that caused the right wing fuel tank to fracture.

Footage of the flames was captured by a passenger onboard before the fire was extinguished prior to landing.

The emergency services attended the aircraft on the runway and the fire service captured the leaking fuel “preventing it igniting on the hot engine or brakes”.

None of the 211 passengers and 10 crew were injured during the incident and quickly disembarked.

In light of the engine fire, the UK aviation safety agency has asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US to take action against Boeing to improve the safety of the 767 fleet.

The AAIB said in a statement: “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.”

A spokesperson for Boeing said: “We are reviewing the AAIB’s recommendation and will follow any guidance from the FAA.”

They added that the “global 767 fleet continues to operate safely”.

The Independent has contacted Delta Airlines for comment.

In January, the FAA investigated Boeing and Atlas Air after a 747 plane taking off from Miami experienced an engine fire.

Atlas Air flight 95 departed from Miami International Airport to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles southeast of San Juan.

According to a preliminary report released by the agency, officials discovered a softball-sized hole above the second engine. The plane later turned around and made an emergency landing at the Miami airport.

For more travel news and advice listen to Simon Calder’s podcast.

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