Jet Engine Explodes Mid-Air, Passengers Send Final Messages
Boeing 757 bound for Germany forced into emergency landing in Italy after right engine burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Corfu.
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Panic erupted aboard a Condor Airlines Boeing 757 when its right engine exploded and caught fire minutes after takeoff from Corfu, Greece, en route to Düsseldorf, Germany.
The dramatic incident occurred Saturday night with 273 passengers and eight crew on board. Witnesses reported hearing multiple blasts before seeing flames shoot from the wing at 36,000 feet.
“Suddenly the electricity cut for a few seconds and we stopped climbing,” one passenger recalled. “It was terrifying beyond words. I even sent goodbye messages, I thought it was over.”
Another passenger added: “We heard a loud bang, and then flames started coming out of the engine. It was very scary.”
After 40 tense minutes in the air, the pilots diverted to Brindisi Airport in southern Italy for an emergency landing. Videos captured in Italy show the aircraft trailing fire and explosions from the engine.
A spokesperson for Condor Airlines said the explosion was caused by a malfunction in the engine’s combustion chamber.