Plane catches fire mid-air in U.S.

An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing after its engine burst into flames in mid-air in Ohio, the United States.

The flight from John Glenn International Airport in Columbus was bound for Phoenix, Arizona.

It was learned that the aircraft took off at about 7:40 a.m. on Sunday, April 23, but landed back at John Glenn about 40 minutes later.

“Emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning involving a reported engine fire. The aircraft landed safely and the airport is open and operational,” the airport said in a tweet.

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The Boeing 737’s crew reported a “possible bird strike,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a news release.

Passengers said they heard loud noises outside the cabin, adding that the pilot said they had flown through a flock of geese, which likely damaged the engine and caused it to catch fire mid-air.

No injuries were however reported in the incident.

The FAA added that an investigation has commenced into the accident.

The Star