A Turkish Airlines flight from Milan to Istanbul made an emergency landing at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport today, after its engine burst into flames - the latest in a series of such incidents that have forced the carrier to divert or recall flights.
Television images showed firefighters approaching the plane at the airport and putting out the fire, and the Airbus A320 aircraft's passengers were evacuated safely.
"Turkish Airlines' TK 1878 flight from Milan to Istanbul skipped Ataturk Airport during its first landing. It drove off the runway after declaring an emergency landing," said company spokesman Ali Genc.
"All 97 passengers have been taken to the terminal with no health problems. The reason for the incident will be clear after the investigation," he added.
Airlive.net reported that the first attempt to land may have caused serious damage to the right landing gear and wing.
Turkish news agency Anadolu reported the aircraft skidded off the runway before coming to a halt on a grass verge. Firefighting crews rushed to the scene and hosed down the fuselage as passengers escaped down the plane’s emergency slides.
No casualties were reported.
In March footage emerged showing the dramatic aftermath of a Turkish Airlines plane crash landing on a runway in Nepal.
It shows frightened passengers slide down an evacuation chute after the Airbus A330 skidded off the runway after its landing gear malfunctioned at Tribhuvan International airport in Kathmandu.
The footage was shot this morning by one of the 238 people onboard and while some sustained minor injuries, no one was seriously hurt.
Flight TK 726 circled the airport for half an hour before making its second landing attempt in dense fog following a seven hour flight from Istanbul.