A terrifying incident shook the aviation industry on Saturday night, August 16, when a Boeing 757-300 carrying 280 passengers caught fire in its right engine shortly after takeoff from Corfu, Greece, reportedly due to a bird strike. This aircraft was operated by German budget airline Condor. It was en route to Düsseldorf, Germany, when the plane had to make an emergency landing in Brindisi, Italy. Read to know more about this incident.
Boeing 757-300 Flight Caught Fire Mid-Air
A German Condor aircraft flying to Düsseldorf made an emergency landing in southern Italy due to engine failure caused by suspected bird strike.
The Condor Boeing 757-330 aircraft (D-ABOK) flying from Corfu (CFU) to Dusseldorf (DUS) started spitting flames right after the… pic.twitter.com/k4b0W0myqg
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) August 17, 2025
The Boeing 757-300 aeroplane had 273 passengers and eight crew members on board. The flight was mid-air when the right engine caught fire at about 1,500 feet in the air. The flight had to make an emergency landing in Brindisi, Italy. A video of this incident went viral all over X (formerly Twitter). The video shows sparks emerging from the plane’s right side. As per the Indiatimes, people living near the port heard a loud explosion-like sound when the flight flew over it.
According to NDTV, flight tracking sites showed the aircraft DE3665 departed from Corfu’s Ioannis Kapodistrias Airport at 8:19 PM EEST (10:49 IST). It landed at Brindisi airport 43 minutes later. As per some reports, after shutting down the faulty engine, the pilot tried to return to the departure destination but later continued flying on the other engine and landed in Brindisi safely. Because of the limited hotels in Brindisi, the passengers had to spend the night at the airport and reached Düsseldorf the next day.
Also Read: American Airlines Boeing 737 Aborts Takeoff At Denver After Tyre Catches Fire; 173 Evacuated Safely
Other Boeing Flight Incidents
NDTV reported that the Boeing 757 is one of the oldest-serving passenger plane models in the world. It has been nicknamed “Atari Ferrari.” It is to be noted that this was not the first time Boeing planes had caused inconveniences. Last month, a Delta flight, flying from Los Angeles to Atlanta, had to return after takeoff after its left engine caught fire. One of the most dreadful incidents in recent times, the Air India plane crash in June was also an aircraft by Boeing. The crash killed 271 passengers and 19 people on the ground. An investigation is in process in this case.
What are your thoughts on these constant problems in aeroplanes? Tell us in the comments below!
Also Read: Airlines Tighten Rules On Power Banks Amid Fire Safety Concerns; Heres All You Need To Know!
Cover Image Courtesy: X (formerly Twitter)/ FL360aero