Delta A330 engine explodes on take off Pilot "Affirmative we need a comeback"

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JFABNRGR
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10:23a, 3/31/26
AG
Wild videos out of Sau Paulo from ground, pax right behind wing, ATC. Left engine explodes right after V1, stays on fire for a while, and creates enough flaming debris that a grass fire starts on airport grounds.

Flight was to Atlanta.

I never did hear pilot declare emergency but haven't heard full 10 minutes of coms.

Tower should never have let that next aircraft land without full runway inspection.

288 passengers, full of fuel, #1 on fire for a long time.....Nobody on that plane will forget that trip. Kudos to the pilots and the thrust a single engine can produce.

If your already timid of flying you might not want to watch the second vid.







“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
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Hill08
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10:31a, 3/31/26
Passengers were praying the pilots weren't hired under the Biden administration
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TAMUallen
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10:34a, 3/31/26
AG
I can't even fathom what experiencing that for 10 minutes would have been like. Must have been a lot of guardian angels flying with them
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TRX
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10:36a, 3/31/26
AG
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!
ULTRA MAGA
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BuddysBud
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10:37a, 3/31/26
AG
The Sao Paulo airport has little if any buffer between the airport and surrounding neighborhoods. A major highway runs right off the end of the a main runway.

It is amazing that no one on the ground was injured from falling debris.
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Jack Squat 83
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10:39a, 3/31/26
AG
Had to be the biggest single day for new underwear sales ever!
I don't think you know me.
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JFABNRGR
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In reply to TAMUallen • 10:40a, 3/31/26
AG
TAMUallen said:
I can't even fathom what experiencing that for 10 minutes would have been like. Must have been a lot of guardian angels flying with them

Yeah seated on left side, behind wing, in the first :30 I would have been going through my head on all my sins and asking for forgiveness.....come to think of it probably would have taken longer.

I am well aware a plane can fly fully loaded on one engine, but that engine was coming apart producing a lot of debris.
“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
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TyHolden
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10:40a, 3/31/26
AG
I probably would have had a heart attack. Holy *****
I hope I did not offend anybody with this post. If I did, please come see me at my address in my profile so we can talk.
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CDUB98
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In reply to TRX • 10:43a, 3/31/26
AG
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

It's possible the pilots knew they had stable flight and were going out to sea to dump the fuel tanks before landing.
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JFABNRGR
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In reply to TRX • 10:44a, 3/31/26
AG
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

Only a parachute pilot but they did get fire out, plane was flying, and they needed to go through a checklist on landing fully loaded.

Assuming they landed on the same long runway they, may have had to get some hasty runway inspection partially completed before touch down.

Turns all slower.
“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
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vin1041
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10:50a, 3/31/26
AG
Great job by the pilots.
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deddog
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In reply to CDUB98 • 10:50a, 3/31/26
AG
CDUB98 said:
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

It's possible the pilots knew they had stable flight and were going out to sea to dump the fuel tanks before landing.

This is my guess too, but they returned pretty quickly, so doesnt look like they needed to dump fuel, probably not fully loaded. Otherwise, they would not be able to land safely (planes have a Maximum Landing Weight)
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AgNav93
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In reply to deddog • 11:11a, 3/31/26
AG
deddog said:
CDUB98 said:
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

It's possible the pilots knew they had stable flight and were going out to sea to dump the fuel tanks before landing.

This is my guess too, but they returned pretty quickly, so doesnt look like they needed to dump fuel, probably not fully loaded. Otherwise, they would not be able to land safely (planes have a Maximum Landing Weight)

Was thinking the same thing. If they brought that plane around for a heavy weight emergency return on fire in just 10 minutes that is pretty remarkable.

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jt16
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In reply to AgNav93 • 11:23a, 3/31/26
AG
AgNav93 said:
deddog said:
CDUB98 said:
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

It's possible the pilots knew they had stable flight and were going out to sea to dump the fuel tanks before landing.

This is my guess too, but they returned pretty quickly, so doesnt look like they needed to dump fuel, probably not fully loaded. Otherwise, they would not be able to land safely (planes have a Maximum Landing Weight)

Was thinking the same thing. If they brought that plane around for a heavy weight emergency return on fire in just 10 minutes that is pretty remarkable.



I'm no pilot, but I can't imagine them wanting to dump fuel with an active engine fire going on
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nortex97
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In reply to AgNav93 • 11:25a, 3/31/26
AG
Every flight is planned for an engine failure just past V2. Communicating with the cabin is just about the last priority for the pilots, but it's a standard contingency every single flight plan accommodates, and I think pilots are drilled on it in a simulator at least once every year or two.

Yes, it would be nerve wracking as a pax, but this is one of those justifiable scenarios for why pilots make well into 6-figures nowadays. I read that most pilots won't experience such an event more than once a career due to how reliable modern engines are, which is nice.
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akaggie05
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11:31a, 3/31/26
AG
Complete cluster f of a situation and incompetence of Brazilian airport ops on full display.

- Letting that next plane land on a contaminated runway was a huge lapse

- ARFF response time about 3x what it should have been, and bad communications on top of that. Pilots couldn't communicate with ground units, tower didn't seem to be able to relay anything worth a flip, etc.

Regarding the discussion on landing weight, this aircraft was likely fully fueled and well above max landing weight. In this kind of situation though, doesn't matter. You land overweight and deal with the extra inspections and replace anything that gets broken. Much more preferable than flying longer with an active fire onboard. Also some discussion about this particular variant of A330 possibly not having fuel dump capability, so then you're talking about flying potentially for extra hours (not minutes) to burn off fuel. Not happening with this situation.
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TexasAggie_97
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In reply to deddog • 11:42a, 3/31/26
AG
deddog said:
CDUB98 said:
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

It's possible the pilots knew they had stable flight and were going out to sea to dump the fuel tanks before landing.

This is my guess too, but they returned pretty quickly, so doesnt look like they needed to dump fuel, probably not fully loaded. Otherwise, they would not be able to land safely (planes have a Maximum Landing Weight)


They can absolutely land fully loaded regardless of their takeoff weight but it's hell on the landing gear and will burn up the tires.
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TexasAggie_97
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In reply to jt16 • 11:43a, 3/31/26
AG
jt16 said:
AgNav93 said:
deddog said:
CDUB98 said:
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

It's possible the pilots knew they had stable flight and were going out to sea to dump the fuel tanks before landing.

This is my guess too, but they returned pretty quickly, so doesnt look like they needed to dump fuel, probably not fully loaded. Otherwise, they would not be able to land safely (planes have a Maximum Landing Weight)

Was thinking the same thing. If they brought that plane around for a heavy weight emergency return on fire in just 10 minutes that is pretty remarkable.



I'm no pilot, but I can't imagine them wanting to dump fuel with an active engine fire going on


Not an issue you cut fuel to the engine and it will burn out.
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PCC_80
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In reply to TRX • 12:28p, 3/31/26
AG
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

Turning to soon costs you speed and altitude. They were just above take off speed and the ground. So they needed both.

So they flew straight and climbed slowly with what they could get from the one engine. Once they had some speed and altitude to work with they could make a nice wide turn and come back to the airport.
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Esteban du Plantier
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12:29p, 3/31/26
AG
Great job by the pilots

Aviate, navigate, and communicate. In that order.
.
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BQ78
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12:35p, 3/31/26
AG
The panic of the passengers would have been worse than the emergency to me. The pilots obviously had it under control.
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Highway6
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12:42p, 3/31/26
AG
People that may not have been to church for 20 years are screaming for Jesus to help. Ironic, isn't it?
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Rockdoc
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12:51p, 3/31/26
AG
That fire hung on for a long time considering engines have multiple fire extinguishers.
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Yesterday
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12:52p, 3/31/26
AG
You know there's at least one salty traveler still typing away at the laptop during all of this.
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BadMoonRisin
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In reply to BQ78 • 1:38p, 3/31/26
AG
Hearing the kids scream that they don't want to die...yeah I watched that video on mute at first, but turned on sound to see how loud the explosions were and they weren't as loud as I would thought, but the panicked kids sucked to listen to.

Glad everyone was safe.
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AgLA06
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1:44p, 3/31/26
AG
I'm always astonished by the people that just scream. Never understood it.
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reineraggie09
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In reply to Esteban du Plantier • 1:49p, 3/31/26
AG
Esteban du Plantier said:
Great job by the pilots

Aviate, navigate, and communicate. In that order.


They sounded as cool as a cucumber. Professionals. Should change their names to Jack and Moss
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Ag with kids
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In reply to TexasAggie_97 • 2:03p, 3/31/26
AG
TexasAggie_97 said:
jt16 said:
AgNav93 said:
deddog said:
CDUB98 said:
TRX said:
I was curious why they didn't turn around sooner. Some comments I saw said they were trying to gain more altitude before doing so, but it seems to me an engine fire would be a pretty big emergency they'd want to land as soon as possible for.

Maybe a pilot can chime in with a better explanation. I'd sure want one if I was a passenger!

It's possible the pilots knew they had stable flight and were going out to sea to dump the fuel tanks before landing.

This is my guess too, but they returned pretty quickly, so doesnt look like they needed to dump fuel, probably not fully loaded. Otherwise, they would not be able to land safely (planes have a Maximum Landing Weight)

Was thinking the same thing. If they brought that plane around for a heavy weight emergency return on fire in just 10 minutes that is pretty remarkable.



I'm no pilot, but I can't imagine them wanting to dump fuel with an active engine fire going on


Not an issue you cut fuel to the engine and it will burn out.

Plus the fire handle dumps fuel extinguishing material gets dumped into the engine...
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USAFAg
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4:41p, 3/31/26
AG
Looked like a compressor stall that didn't get under control quickly.
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TexasAggiesWin
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In reply to USAFAg • 4:51p, 3/31/26
S
USA*** said:
Looked like a compressor stall that didn't get under control quickly.

I saw someone describing it looking like a compressor stalled that turned violent, but I think it might have been that the violence within the engine caused the compressor stalling 'effects' seen on the video. From the pictures below from X, looks likely that a blade aft of the compressor blades got loose/failed and then caused the destruction within the engine.

Watching that video (and hearing the screams onboard) is chilling, particularly if you are already afraid of flying.

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USAFAg
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In reply to TexasAggiesWin • 5:03p, 3/31/26
AG
TexasAggiesWin said:
USA*** said:
Looked like a compressor stall that didn't get under control quickly.

I saw someone describing it looking like a compressor stalled that turned violent, but I think it might have been that the violence within the engine caused the compressor stalling 'effects' seen on the video. From the pictures below from X, looks likely that a blade aft of the compressor blades got loose/failed and then caused the destruction within the engine.

Watching that video (and hearing the screams onboard) is chilling, particularly if you are already afraid of flying.


May well be the case. Could be both. An uncontrolled compressor stall can do A LOT of damage to an engine that can lead to a complete failure.
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Decay
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5:21p, 3/31/26
AG
I was a passenger in a plane that had a bird strike. Plenty of altitude so I wasn't that worried but several people screamed like we were going to explode in midair. They shut down #2 and were back down in a few minutes.

When we landed there was a reporter asking people in the rebooking line if we were on the plane. I didn't want to talk to them but the guy in front of me showed them the note we wrote on his hand to his family in case we went down.

Really I think most people are just dramatic babies.
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Jeeper79
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5:22p, 3/31/26
AG
Boeing execs saying prayers of thanks that it wasn't one of theirs (again).
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TX_COWDOC
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In reply to Esteban du Plantier • 5:54p, 3/31/26
AG
My instructor would call that good ADM…. Aeronautical Decision Making!

My question is would the pilots even consider dumping fuel with an active fire? I didn't get that far with my ASEL certification.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to TX_COWDOC • 5:59p, 3/31/26
AG
My totally uninformed opinion is that they wouldn't dump with an active fire. But I think the fire was out. And the dumps I've seen appear to have been from the wingtips, so not near the fire.

Reminds me of an urban legend I've heard. Supposedly the F-111 would dump fuel between the engines out the back of the plane. Pilots supposedly were known to dump fuel, then light the afterburners and ignite the dumped fuel
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