Plane makes emergency landing in Belfast after engine fire

A Flybe flight from Glasgow to Belfast was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday evening after an engine caught fire.

Flight BE130, which was travelling to Belfast City Airport, was diverted to Belfast International Airport after the engine went on fire.

There were no injuries among the 76 passengers, two pilots and two cabin crew.

The airline said the plane was met by emergency services “as a routine and precautionary measure”.

Passengers were brought off the plane and taken by road to Belfast City Airport.

One passenger, Simon Tiernan, tweeted: “Lucky to be alive tonight. Plane engine caught fire over the sea. Serious credit to the pilots and crew, great job.

“Plane had to do an emergency landing. Had basically accepted that my time on earth was done. Pilots I love you. Think I will get the ferry next time #flybebelfast”.

In a statement Flybe said: “Flybe can confirm that flight BE130 from Glasgow to Belfast City diverted to Belfast International Airport due a small engine fire, which was extinguished before landing.”

They added: “At no time was the safety and wellbeing of passengers compromised.

“Flybe operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers guidelines.”

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Quintin Oliver, a lobbyist who was returning to Belfast after visiting Glasgow for work, described the moment of the fire.

“The left hand engine went on fire and the plane lurched a little, not hugely. The engine was on fire, it was burning like a Catherine wheel with large orange flames shooting out the side. That’s when you get scared.”

He added: “It goes through your mind all the air crashes you have seen on the TV. You get worried about what’s going to happen, how you’re going to land, whether you’re going to land.”

Mr Oliver said he was still waiting two hours after the evacuation to re-board the plane and retrieve his hand luggage, although some passengers had chosen to leave and collect their belongings tomorrow.

He praised the airline for looking after the passengers’ safety, but said that communication had been “shockingly bad” and when they evacuated it was not clear what was happening in the terminal.

“It was a drama made into a shambles,” he said.

PA