A Tel Aviv-bound El Al plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport early Thursday morning after one of its engines caught fire. No injuries were reported.
Flight 318 was scheduled to fly from London to Israel, and took off from Heathrow at 1 a.m. on Thursday. About 20 minutes after takeoff, one of the plane’s four engines caught fire, forcing the pilot to turn around and make an emergency landing.
Ground forces at Heathrow were placed on high alert and an emergency situation was declared as the 747-400 carrier with over 400 passengers made its approach. The crew followed procedures and prepared the plane for a crash landing.
Passengers described their experience to the Israeli media, saying they could see fire and smoke trails from under the wing.
The pilots landed the plane with three engines, and no one was injured. In a statement, El Al said it hoped to have all the passengers in Israel within 24 hours.
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