A Boeing 747-8 cargo jet was forced to return to Miami International Airport (KMIA) after experiencing an engine failure shortly after takeoff Thursday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft, operated by Atlas Air, was en route to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico before encountering engine trouble. It reached an altitude of 3,800 feet before circling back to KMIA and landing safely. No injuries were reported.
“The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA,” Atlas Air stated. Along with the FAA, Atlas Air noted it would conduct an inspection to determine the cause of the incident.
According to Reuters, several witnesses reported seeing flames coming from the aircraft’s left wing while videos swirling on social media platform X appear to capture the same incident, although they could not be verified.
Upon inspection, the FAA said the aircraft had a “softball sized hole” above its engine, as reported by Newsweek.
