Why an Air Canada plane catches fire after takeoff from Toronto Pearson
TORONTO, June 10, 2024 – It took almost two days, but Air Canada has addressed concerns about what appeared to be an engine on fire on a flight leaving Pearson Airport on the evening of Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Numerous people took to social media after capturing a low flying Air Canada Boeing 777 with flames coming out of one of its engines. Air Canada says in a statement on “X,” that the engine issue was later determined to be a compressor stall. The aircraft, flight AC872 headed from Toronto to Paris was able to turn around and land normally.
“Flight AC872 from Toronto to Paris on June 5 returned to Toronto shortly after departure due to an engine issue that was determined to be a compressor stall. The aircraft landed normally, and it was met by first responder vehicles as a precaution before it taxied to the gate on its own,” reads the statement on X.
The engine itself is not on fire
Air Canada also says that videos of the incident posted on the internet show the engine at the point of compressor stall. They say this occurs when the airflow is disrupted causing fuel to ignite further down the engine, which is why flames are visible and that the “engine itself is not on fire.”
The pilots were able to stabilize and land the plane normally.
One of the videos on TikTok shows the calm conversation between the pilots and air traffic control, as the pilots can be heard saying “PAN, PAN” three times, which is code for Possible Assistance Needed. The urgency signal indicates that the station calling has a very urgent message to transmit concerning the safety of the aircraft.
Toronto Times spoke with some eyewitnesses on Friday, who had just finished playing a men’s league hockey game at CAA Centre in Brampton at the time of the incident. None of them were able to get video or images because it all happened so fast and they were shocked at what they were seeing.
“We saw this plane flying fairly low over the 410, and thought that was a little unusual,” said Gerald Grant, 57 of Mississauga. “Then all of a sudden, flames started bursting out of the back of one of the engines. It was unbelievable and shocking,” said Grant.
“We were all too amazed and surprised, to get our phones out and capture what was happening above us,” said Andrew Beattie of Mississauga. Beattie looked up the footage later to provide us with some context.
After safely returning to the gate, all 389 passengers and 13 crew onboard the Air Canada Boeing 777 were accommodated on another aircraft to Paris later that evening.
by Terry Lankstead
lead image screen capture from TikTok account aviationMP4
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