Delta Flight to Atlanta Makes Fiery Emergency Landing

Passengers on a Delta flight out of Brazil got an alarming light show shortly after takeoff on Sunday night. Video shot from inside the cabin shows one of the Airbus A330-300's engines throwing off flames as the plane climbed out of Sao Paulo en route to Atlanta, reports USA Today. Delta says Flight 104, carrying 272 passengers and 14 crew members, turned back and landed safely, with travelers then bused to the terminal. "Delta 104, there is a fire on your wing," an air traffic controller can be heard in audio informing the pilots, per NBC Miami. One of the pilots replies: "Affirmative, we need to come back."

There were no reported injuries, though passengers likely won't forget this flight anytime soon. "I felt a lot of panic, just panic [and] ... fear of dying," one passenger noted. Another said, "I've never experienced such despair in my life. ... I only thought about my family." The airline cited a mechanical issue with the left engine but didn't specify a cause. US aviation regulators referred questions to Brazilian authorities; the country's civil aviation agency hasn't yet provided details. Immediately after the incident, Delta said its teams were working to rebook customers and emphasized that safety remains its top concern, while apologizing for the disruption.