#Flight makes emergency landing in Hawaii after engine spits fire

Dramatic video from the darkened cabin of a military charter flight captured the right engine emitting lightning-like flashes of flames shortly after taking off from Honolulu, according to reports.

The Atlas Air Boeing 767-300, carrying 212, was in the initial climb-out en route to Guam when the pilot reported an emergency because of the engine failure, avherald.com reported.

The problem resulted from a compressor stall in the surging engine, a condition that results in the violent expulsion of compressed air through the intake due to an unstable airflow, the news outlet reported.

The plane stopped its climb at 2,000 feet, where the crew worked the severe engine damage checklist, shut the engine down and requested a return to the airport about 30 minutes after takeoff, according to avherald.com.

“It was quite loud. I’m pretty sure I heard my neighbors down below talking about it. You can hear a lot of people, it was pretty intense for a while there,” Makiki resident Kevin Tynan told KHON.

“I was nervous because when I first saw it, it was pretty close. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’” Tynan added.

Kakaako resident Rick Bartalini told the outlet: “It was actually scary to watch because you’re scared. Is this plane going to explode? Is it going to go down?”

Atlas Air said in a statement: “An Atlas Air passenger flight landed safely at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu following a mechanical issue with one engine.

“At Atlas, safety is always our top priority and we will be conducting a thorough inspection to determine the cause,” it added.

No injuries were reported.