Boeing engine catches fire on Corfu-Dusseldorf flight, makes emergency landing

Two hundred and seventy three passengers and eight crew were on board the Condor Airways Boeing 757-300, when the engine malfunctioned a few minutes after take off from Corfu airport and burst into flames.

The incident on the DE3665 flight to Dusseldorf, carrying mostly German tourists, was witnessed by dozens of locals and visitors to the island who recorded it on their mobile phones, with many reporting a deafening sound, seemingly like an explosion, coming from the aircraft.

The right engine malfunctioned at 1500 feet, when the plane was still in take off mode, with pilots moving to deactivate, before it caused any further damage. The Boeing was flying over the Corfu port at the time.

The pilots then turned the plane to the right, in parallel to the take off and landing runway, as the Corfu airport was placed on red alert and all the emergency landing protocols put in place.

This however did not happen as the pilots decided they could continue the flight with a single engine. The aircraft then moved at an altitude of 8 thousand feet and landed at Brindisi airport, Italy, across from Corfu.

According to German network RTL, the pilots were forced to change course to Brindisi as the engine malfunction did not allow them to carry through the flight to Dusseldorf.

‘We apologise for any inconvenience, but passenger safety is our top priority at any given time’, Condor airways said in a statement.

The passengers spent the night in a hotel and were expected to depart for their destination later today.