Passengers screamed and pleaded to “turn around” as flames shot from an engine of a Delta Air Lines aircraft moments after takeoff, forcing the flight bound for Atlanta to make a rapid return to São Paulo, Brazil.
Delta Flight 104, an Airbus A330-300 carrying 272 passengers and 14 crew, had just departed São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport on Sunday when a mechanical problem struck its left engine, the airline confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Videos recorded by passengers show sparks and bursts of flame coming from the engine, lighting up the night sky as the aircraft gained altitude.
“Turn around!” passengers can be heard shouting.
Pilots declared an emergency, shut down the affected engine and circled back to the airport, landing safely shortly after departure.
Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) teams were standing by on the runway and video showed crew spraying down the aircraft.
Video from inside the cabin shows passengers erupting into cheers and applause, some shouting in relief after the aircraft came to a stop.
No injuries were reported. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration for additional information.
Delta said the flight returned “following an indication of a mechanical issue with the aircraft’s left engine” and that the crew followed established procedures.
Passengers were taken back to the terminal and later rebooked.
“The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority. We apologize to our customers for this delay in their travels,” the airline said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
