Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Erupts in Flames During Takeoff

The aftermath sparked a small brush fire alongside the runway.

Published: 3/30/2026, 5:37:15 PM EDT

Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Erupts in Flames During Takeoff — A Delta airplane takes off from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport in Saint Paul, Minn., on Aug 29, 2025. (Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times)

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Atlanta made an emergency landing in São Paulo on Sunday night after its left engine burst into flames and spewed debris moments after takeoff.

Delta Flight 104, an Airbus A330-300 carrying 272 passengers and 14 crew members bound for Atlanta, was forced to immediately turn back after suffering what the airline described as "a mechanical issue with the aircraft's left engine,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to numerous outlets.

Video captured from the tarmac and shared widely on social media showed the moment: loud bangs, bright flashes erupting from beneath the plane's left wing, and scorched pieces of the aircraft tumbling to the ground. The aftermath sparked a small brush fire alongside the runway. Separate footage shot from inside the cabin captured passengers screaming and praying in the moment.

Air traffic controllers tracking the flight quickly alerted the cockpit.

"Delta 104, there is a fire on your wing," a controller told the pilots.

"Affirmative, we need to come back," the pilot responded.

The plane circled back over São Paulo and touched down safely at Guarulhos minutes later, where it was met by Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting crews. Passengers were then bused to the terminal. No injuries were reported, according to Delta.

For those on board, the episode was terrifying. Danielle Willig, an Atlanta-based software saleswoman, told Brazilian broadcaster Globo she initially mistook the thunderous noise for the plane's landing gear retracting—until the screaming started.

"I've never experienced such despair in my life," Willig said, speaking in Portuguese. "I've never felt this fear of flying. I fly a lot. But it was a real fear of dying, of looking and seeing that the plane wasn't taking off. I only thought about my family."

In a statement, Delta apologized to affected travelers. "The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority. We apologize to our customers for this delay in their travels," the spokesperson said.

The incident is the latest in a string of engine-related emergencies to hit U.S. carriers in recent months. In February, a JetBlue Airbus A320 was forced to return to Newark Liberty International Airport after the crew reported engine trouble and smoke in the cockpit shortly after departing for Palm Beach, Florida. Passengers were evacuated via emergency slides on the runway.

JetBlue has faced repeated mechanical challenges. Last October, multiple passengers were hospitalized after one of its flights abruptly lost altitude en route from Cancún to Newark, forcing an emergency diversion to Tampa.

The same month, A Delta plane similarly bound for Atlanta was forced to return to Savannah, Georgia, after engine failure during takeoff. The mechanical issue also sparked a significant grass fire near the runway.

According to Delta Air Lines, there were 179 passengers, plus two pilots and 4 flight attendants on board the plane at the time of the emergency.

“The Boeing 737-900 landed safely and was met by ARFF, then customers deplaned normally at the gate,” the airlines said in a statement at the time, adding: “The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority. We apologize to our customers for this delay in their travels.”