Flames Seen Shooting From Boeing Plane Before Emergency Landing At Miami Airport

An Atlas Air cargo plane made an emergency landing at Miami International Airport late Thursday night after an engine malfunction, the airline said.

We can confirm that Flight 5Y095, a cargo aircraft, landed safely after experiencing an engine malfunction soon after departure from Miami International Airport (MIA), Atlas Air said in a statement. The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA. 

The airline said safety was its top priority, and it would conduct a thorough inspection to determine the cause.

Dramatic video posted on social media appeared to show sparks and flames shooting from the planes left wing. 

Miami resident Melanie Adaros told HuffPost she was walking with her mom at around 10:40 p.m. and saw a plane flying low with sparks and fire coming out of the side.

We watched in disbelief as it also appeared to not be ascending or descending, she said over an Instagram direct message, adding that she saw the plane do a wide turn.

She said she suspected it would land at Miami Executive Airport, which she lives close to, but when she contacted the airport, she was advised it had landed safely at Miami International Airport.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received a call from the airport control tower alerting it that there was fire coming from a plane in the air, a representative of the department told HuffPost.

The plane landed safely and there was no fire when it reached the tarmac, the representative said. No injuries were reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Boeing 747 plane returned to its origin after its crew reported an engine failure. It had been headed Luis Muoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The FAA will investigate, a spokesperson said. Post-flight inspection revealed a softball-sized hole above the engine, according to a preliminary report from the agency Friday.

Boeing said that it is supporting Atlas Air and will support a National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the incident.

Miami International Airport did not immediately return a request for comment.

Boeing has been embroiled in a crisis since Jan. 5, when the door of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 plane blew out during a flight, prompting an emergency landing shortly after take-off from Portland International Airport.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled as Boeing conducts inspections on scores of grounded 737 Max 9 planes.