Air Canada Boeing aircraft catches fire shortly after takeoff but lands safely

An Air Canada Boeing Flight AC872 narrowly escaped disaster as it caught fire mid-air before taking off at Toronto Pearson Airport on the evening of June 5. The Paris-bound aircraft experienced a terrifying ordeal just thirty minutes into the flight as it was ascending from the runway. Flight tracker FlightAware reported that the plane had to circle back and land at Toronto Pearson Airport after departing from its gate at 8:46 pm.

Viral video footage captured the harrowing moment when a light flashed from the right engine, followed by a small explosion that set the tail of the plane ablaze. Witnesses on the ground were shocked, with one exclaiming, “Holy crap! It’s got an engine fire!” Fortunately, none of the 400 passengers or crew members were injured, as the aircrew managed to land the plane safely.

An Air Canada representative later revealed that the fire was caused by an engine compressor issue. The aircraft will undergo further evaluation by maintenance and engineering professionals before being taken out of service. This incident involving the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft raises concerns about ongoing maintenance and inspection protocols for such planes.

This is the second such event at Toronto Pearson Airport in less than two weeks, following an engine issue on a flight bound for Delhi, India on May 27. Despite these incidents, the Boeing 777-300ER is known for its robust design and has served Air Canada well over the years.