Lisbon || A Brazil-bound TAP flight out of Lisbon Airport carrying 268 passengers was forced to return shortly after it took off on Saturday morning (July 12) due to a turbine engine failure.
Witnesses on the plane and on the ground said they heard what sounded like an explosion just after takeoff, and fire and sparks were seen coming out of the craft’s right engine. Pieces of debris actually fell from the engine, causing damage to some vehicles in the area of Camarate, Loures.
TAP, Portugal’s flag air carrier, later explained that the “bang” everyone had heard was not an explosion but was, in fact, the sound of one of the engine turbines which “failed” and made a loud noise.
None of the passengers, who were expected to land in São Paulo later that afternoon, were hurt during the emergency landing, although some were reported to have been “very distressed”.
Brazilian journalist Eduardo Tessler, a passenger on the plane, told Correio da Manhã newspaper: “People were clearly very distressed and I even heard some praying.”
When the plane landed back at Lisbon Airport nearly an hour after it took off, the sound of loud clapping and praises for the pilot expressed the relief felt by passengers.
Passengers were put on another flight to Brazil later that day.
Meanwhile, Camarate PSP police officers were kept busy that day collecting pieces of debris that fell from the aircraft – they counted 30 pieces measuring about 4cm.
TAP airline has since confirmed that it will cover the costs of any damage caused by the debris and is currently looking into the causes of the malfunction, as “no problems” had been detected in the turbines during routine checks conducted by manufacturers General Electric.
