WATCH: Delta flight Boeing 767 makes emergency landing at Los Angeles airport after engine catches fire

A Delta Air Lines flight en route to Atlanta was forced to make an emergency return to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Friday after one of its engines caught fire shortly after takeoff. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, and fire crews extinguished the fire soon after landing.

Video footage of Flight DL446, operated by a Boeing 767-400 (tail number N836MH), has surfaced on social media, showing flames shooting from the left engine of the aircraft while it was in the air.

As per the Aviation A2Z report, the engine ignited shortly after takeoff, prompting the flight crew to declare an emergency and return the flight to the airport. Amid the incident, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) coordinated with the aircraft, guiding the plane back, and alerted the emergency services.

According to Flightradar24 data, the plane, DL446, initially climbed over the Pacific Ocean before looping back over the Downey and Paramount regions. This gave the crew enough time to complete checklists and prepare for a safe landing. During the manoeuvre, the aircraft maintained a controlled altitude and speed.

What is the cause of the incident?

Passengers said the captain confirmed that fire crews were "verifying that the engine fire is out." The Federal Aviation Administration initiated an investigation into the incident, and the cause of the fire is still unknown. The aircraft, which is powered by two General Electric CF6 engines, is almost 25 years old.

"Delta flight 446 returned to Los Angeles shortly after departure following an indication of an issue with the aircraft's left engine," a Delta Air Lines spokesperson told the BBC.

The incident is not the first time Delta has encountered such an issue this year. Similarly, a Delta aircraft caught fire at Orlando International Airport in April 2025. The engine of Delta Air Lines Flight 1213 caught fire on the ramp when it was preparing to depart for Atlanta.

The aircraft was an Airbus A330 and was carrying 282 passengers, with 10 flight attendants and two pilots at the time. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the incident.