Don Mueang flight carrying Thai singer makes emergency landing after engine explosion

The engine of an aircraft from Don Mueang carrying famed singer Unnop Thongborisut, better known as Por, exploded mid-flight, causing widespread panic among passengers.

The incident occurred as the aircraft was en route from Don Mueang Airport, with the safe landing achieved at the same airport. Por, one of the passengers, posted a clip on her Instagram story recounting the terrifying experience.

TikTok user @ben_benga, another passenger on the flight, uploaded a video of the captain and crew explaining the incident to the passengers. He stated that the flight had taken off from Don Mueang at 11.10am and landed back at the same airport at 12.05pm due to an issue with the right engine.

Passengers alerted the crew of sparks coming from the right engine, following which the engine was shut down. The captain declared that the flight could not continue and had to return to Don Mueang.

As passengers began to feel ill, the captain conversed with the passengers who reported the sparks. Half of the passengers were vomiting, while others were fainting. Upon landing, everyone clapped and cheered in relief.

One particular passenger who reported the sparks said that the plane had been shaking during takeoff and that a long streak of fire could be seen coming from the engine. A flight attendant happened to ask the passenger, who then reported the incident.

The captain explained that there were two possible causes. He was unsure whether a bird had flown into the engine as they had flown through a flock of birds on the right side. However, the incident occurred at around 6,000 feet, while the bird had passed at around 4,000 to 5,000 feet two to three days earlier.

The bird was large, but there was a delay before the incident happened. Once the engine failure was recognised, it had to be shut down, and there were indeed sparks at that time, reported KhaoSod.

Another passenger who reported the incident, TikTok user @maisl284, posted a clip of the captain explaining the probable cause after she reported the incident. The captain then returned to his duties, expressing his gratitude to @ben_benga and @maisl284 for their vigilance.