Engine malfunction forces Atlas Air Boeing plane to make emergency landing in Miami

An Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Miami International Airport after experiencing an engine malfunction shortly after departure.

“The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA,” Atlas Air said in a statement, adding that it would conduct an inspection to determine the cause of the incident which occurred late on Thursday.

Unverified videos on social media platform X showed flames shooting out of the left wing of the aircraft while in flight.

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 747-8, Flightaware data showed. Boeing’s 747-8 is powered by four General Electric GEnx engines.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded and no injuries were reported, the airport told Reuters. It was not immediately clear how many crew were on board.

Boeing declined to comment, while FAA and General Electric did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Boeing has been engulfed in a crisis since an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 airliner made an emergency landing after part of its fuselage broke off shortly after take-off from Portland, Oregon, on January 5.

The incident prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to temporarily ground 171 aircraft for safety checks.

Boeing shares are down about 15 percent since the Alaska Airlines incident.

The planemaker bid farewell to the iconic 747 early last year, delivering the final plane to Atlas Air and marking the end of an era when the first-ever “jumbo jet” ruled the skies.