KEY POINTS

  • The engine of the military chartered Boeing 767 reportedly caught fire
  • The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
  • No injuries were reported following the incident

An Atlas Air flight made an emergency landing after the plane caught fire mid-air over Honolulu, Hawaii, on Saturday. Many passengers took videos and photographs of the shocking moment as flames raged outside the windows.

The engine of the military chartered Boeing 767, carrying 212 passengers, reportedly caught fire, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing minutes after leaving Hickam Air Force Base.

Atlas Air confirmed the aircraft's safe landing following a mechanical issue with one of its engines. The plane bound for Guam safely returned to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

In the video captured by a passenger inside the plane, the pitch black cabin is seen lighting up intermittently by the blaze on the wing accompanied by muffled sounds of explosion.

Residents nearby also reported hearing sounds of explosions and said they witnessed bright flashes of light in the night sky that may have been fire coming from the aircraft.

"It was quite loud. I’m pretty sure I heard my neighbors down below talking about it. You can hear a lot of people, it was pretty intense for a while there," Makiki resident Kevin Tynan told KHON 2.

"I was nervous because when I first saw it, it was pretty close. I was like, 'oh my gosh,'" said Tynan.

In another video taken by a Honolulu resident, the Atlas Air plane is seen occasionally spitting out fire as it flies over the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

"Oh my god," one person is heard saying, "Is it going to crash? Did you just see the fire come out of it?"

None of the passengers on board were injured.

"It was actually scary to watch because you're scared. Is this plane going to explode? Is it going to go down?" Kakaako resident Rick Bartalini told KHON 2.

"I'm really glad everybody is okay and they got back okay. I can't imagine what it would’ve been like on the plane," Bartalini added.

The runway was closed and state firefighters with the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting units immediately rushed to the scene.

"At Atlas, safety is always our top priority and we will be conducting a thorough inspection to determine the cause," Debbie Coffey, vice president, and chief communications officer for Atlas Air said in a statement.

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