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Watch: Air Canada Boeing catches fire moments after takeoff, lands safely

An Air Canada Boeing flight AC872 caught fire in mid-air before taking off from Toronto Pearson Airport.

The engine fire of Air Canada flight AC872 at Toronto Pearson Airport led to a safe emergency landing. (X/Air Canada)

The horrific accident happened on the evening of June 5. The plane bound for Paris underwent a terrifying ordeal that could have ended in tragedy.

The incident occurred thirty minutes into the flight, as the plane was leaving the runway. Flight tracker FlightAware reported that the plane took off from its gate at 8:46 p.m., but had to turn around and land at Toronto's Pearson Airport at 9:50 p.m.

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Watch viral footage of Air Canada engulfed in fire here

The viral video footage captured the moment a light flashed from the right engine, followed by a small explosion that ignited the plane's tail. Witnesses on the ground were left in disbelief, with one exclaiming: “Holy shit! There's an engine on fire! » as reported by The Sun.

However, according to local Canadian media outlet CP24, none of the 400 passengers or crew members were injured. The crew managed to land the plane safely, avoiding what could have been a catastrophic event.

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“Passengers will be accommodated on another aircraft departing Toronto later tonight,” the airline said.

An Air Canada representative later said the fire was caused by an engine compressor problem. “After landing, the aircraft was inspected by airport response vehicles according to normal operational processes, and it taxied to the gate on its own,” the representative told CP24.

“The aircraft will be taken out of service for further evaluation by our maintenance and engineering professionals.”

The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft involved in this incident have been in the Air Canada fleet since March 2008, and 19 of these aircraft are currently in active service.

Second such event at Toronto Pearson Airport in less than two weeks

On May 27, another flight to Delhi, India, experienced an engine problem shortly after takeoff, requiring rerouting.

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The Boeing 777-300ER is known for its robust design and has served Air Canada well over the years. However, these recent events have raised questions about the ongoing maintenance and inspection protocols of these aircraft.

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