A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 (registration 9M-MSB) operating as flight MH705 from Manila to Kuala Lumpur safely returned to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Friday after experiencing an engine fire shortly after takeoff.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the incident occurred on Friday evening when the aircraft departed Manila at 5:37 PM local time. The left engine reportedly caught fire during the initial climb, prompting the flight crew to declare an emergency.
One of the passengers, posting on X (formerly Twitter), described it as a “scary experience” and shared photos of the incident, including visible flames coming from the left engine. The passenger expressed gratitude to the pilots and cabin crew for keeping everyone safe during the emergency.
The aircraft remained airborne for approximately 40 minutes while following emergency procedures before making a safe landing back at NAIA at 6:13 PM. Emergency response crews escorted the aircraft to its designated gate after landing.
Initial communication between the pilot and air traffic control suggest a bird strike may have caused the engine malfunction. However, sources told AUP that this could now be unlikely, due to the absence of bird carcasses on the engine.
The involved aircraft, 9M-MSB, is still on the ground as of posting.
All passengers and crew members aboard the flight are safe, demonstrating the effectiveness of airline safety protocols and crew training in handling emergency situations.
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