Singapore Airlines plane catches fire during emergency landing

Seconds after what seemed to be a flawless emergency landing, passengers on  Singapore Airlines Flight SQ368 from Changi Airport to Milan reported that the right engine and wing were ablaze, with flames engulfing the right side of the jet.

The plane was about two hours into the flight when it turned back.

In a statement, Singapore Airlines said the plane’s right engine caught fire following an engine oil warning message.

“Passengers disembarked through stairs and were transported to the terminal building by bus. Passengers will be transferred to another aircraft which is expected to depart for Milan later today,” the statement added.

“Singapore Airlines will be co-operating fully with the authorities in their investigations.”

According to reports, no one aboard was injured but the 222 passengers and 19 crew had to wait on board for several minutes while emergency services sped over to the plane and doused it with water and foam.

 “It was a heart wrenching 5 mins! Waiting for the fire engine and fire fighters to put out the fire! They shot foam and water into the fire and eventually it was put out! We were so close to death!!” wrote passenger Lee Bee Yee on Facebook.

“I just escaped death! ... Huge fire was burning!” she added in comments under a 49-second video clip, shot from a wing seat of the flames and smoke on the wing before it is put out. Foam slips down the small oval window.

“I thank God I am alive! I going home to hug my kids,” she added.

Another passenger, called Chuan, told the BBC that no one panicked but the five to ten minute wait as the fire was put out was “quite scary.”

“The firefighters made sure it was really safe so we were able to walk down the steps, we were even able to collect our luggage,” he said, adding that he only realised he “escaped death” during the bus ride to the terminal.

Singapore Airlines has had only one accident resulting in fatalities.