Boeing passenger plane catches fire shortly after takeoff

Nobody was harmed

On Friday, July 18, the Boeing 767 had a major issue with its left engine, spitting out flames as the vessel pointed skyward.

It then circled before returning safely to Los Angeles International Airport.

Emergency services proceeded to divert the plane once it was on the ground and put out of the fire.

Apparently, the flight was more than an hour late in leaving LAX due to a maintenance hiccup.

Constance Bingham Smith, who was travelling with her three young children that day, claimed it was the 'scariest flight situation I've ever been in'.

She added: "Glad to be safe in LA with kiddos and must have a purpose in staying, but will replay this ordeal in my head for quite some time."

A second flyer recalled everyone remaining calm during the incident, despite worrying for her life on the inside.

She wrote on social media: "I couldn't see the smoke or fire but some people saw it. It was really scary for those 10 minutes! Everyone remained very calm, even if we were internally panicking. Very thankful to be on land now!"

Meanwhile, a third person revealed how his husband and daughter were onboard, but he hadn't a clue an emergency landing had occurred until they were back down at LAX.

"The flight crew was exceptional and calm the whole time. Kudos to all of them for the safe return of all on board," he shared.

A spokesperson for the airline told BBC: "Delta flight 446 returned to Los Angeles shortly after departure following an indication of an issue with the aircraft's left engine."

As far as causes go, engine blazes can be a result of fuel leakages, disruptions to airflow, or foreign objects like birds or debris.