A "terrifying" video recorded by a bystander showed flames erupting from the engine of a Boeing 777 belonging to Air Canada during takeoff, forcing the aircraft to abruptly turn back for an emergency landing. The footage captures the “real horror” as flight AC872 departed from Toronto heading to Paris late on Wednesday. According to the video, flames were seen shooting from the aircraft’s engine immediately after it left the runway, as reported by the New York Post.
The video owner exclaimed, "The engine is on fire, oh my God!" as the flames continued to blaze, sometimes appearing to extend along the plane while it climbed. Air Canada stated in a statement that the fire was due to a "non-specific engine issue" right after takeoff with 389 passengers on board. The aircraft quickly turned around and made an emergency landing at Toronto Airport where it was met by fire crews.
No injuries were reported. The airline said, "After the aircraft landed, airport response vehicles inspected it as part of normal operations, and it proceeded to the gate on its own." However, passengers were rebooked on another flight later that night, and the aircraft was "taken out of service" for evaluation by maintenance staff and engineers.
