Edinburgh flight's emergency landing as flames shoot from wing
- Published
Watch: Flames shoot from passenger plane's wing forcing emergency landing
Passengers on a flight from Edinburgh saw flames shoot from a wing as their plane was forced into an emergency landing minutes after take-off.
Delta Airlines flight DAL209 to New York quickly diverted to land at Prestwick after suffering engine problems.
Footage has emerged on social media of flames around the aircraft's wing.
Shocked passengers reported hearing a loud bang before the plane was diverted.
91Èȱ¬ Scotland News journalist Laura Pettigrew was on the flight.
She said: "The plane took off and there was a loud engine noise, similar to the noise normally during take-off and landing, but it seemed to continue once we were in the air.
"The captain walked up the length of the plane and then there was a Tannoy announcement - although no-one could hear it.
"But we soon realised we were preparing to land.
"When the plane touched down we could see fire trucks and firefighters with hoses rushing towards us."
She added: "We were told to leave all our belongings and get off as quickly as we could.
"There was no real panic among passengers, more just confusion. However some families with kids were pretty distressed."
The plane landed safely at Prestwick Airport
Ms Pettigrew said she was not aware how serious the incident was until they got into the terminal and heard people talking about what had happened.
She added that the air crew on board the plane were "amazing".
"They kept everyone calm," she said. "The pilots seemed to do a smooth job of getting us down safely. Apparently the cabin crew were preparing for a crash landing."
Fire crews surrounded the plane during the landing
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were in attendance to help airport fire crews.
A spokesperson said: "We were requested at 11:23 to assist our fire service partners at Prestwick Airport."
"Operations Control mobilised four appliances to the site, where firefighters remain working to support their partners."
A statement from Delta said: "Delta flight 209 from Edinburgh to New York-JFK safely diverted to Glasgow Prestwick Airport after a mechanical issue with one of the aircraft's two engines.
"We apologise to our customers for this inconvenience and are working to get them to their final destinations via Edinburgh."