Passengers' terror as plane engine 'explodes' minutes after take-off
Passengers on board a Lufthansa flight taking off from Helsinki Airport witnessed the terrifying moment an engine exploded and caught fire in the air.
According to The Aviation Herald, the Frankfurt-bound Airbus A321-200 was climbing out of the runway when the left engine emitted a few bangs and streaks of flames. The engine was shut down and levelled off at 2,500 feet.
The plane, carrying 162 passengers and six crew members, returned to Helsinki Airport about 15 minutes after it departed and the flight was cancelled.
A Helsinki Airport spokesman told the Daily Mail: "A Lufthansa flight had to make an emergency landing at Helsinki airport on Saturday evening due to a glitch in the plane's engine.
"The Frankfurt-bound flight took off from Helsinki airport, but the pilot brought the aircraft back to Helsinki after about an hour later as a mechanical glitch was detected in its engine.
"The pilot informed the airport control tower about the problems developed in the engine."
According to Stuff.co.nz, Lufthansa declined to comment on the incident.
Lufthansa and Airbus has launched a full investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
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